Qat diminishes Yemen water resources

Written By: Mohammed al-Kibsi
Still popular, qat chews provide an important forum for debate and dialogue in Yemen. Nearly every Yemeni chews; even old age and toothlessness fail to stop some. Taking a closer look at the agricultural, social, community, and health effects that this plant has on qat chewers will help us understand why it is so dangerous to Yemenis.


Qat is scientifically known as Catha edulis, a medium-sized shrub or tree known for its leaves, which release stimulating substances (amphetamines) when chewed. The qat plant is known by a variety of names, such as khat and gat in Yemen, chat in Ethiopia, jaad in Somalia, and miraa in Kenya and Tanzania. Although there are still minor disputes about where qat originated, today there is little argument about its common use in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Yemen. According to the al-Afif Cultural Foundation, it is estimated that about 70 to 80 percent of Yemenis between the ages of 16 and 50 years have chewed qat on at least one occasion. It has also been estimated that Yemenis spend about 14.6 million person-hours per day chewing qat. This is time that could be utilized in more productive ways such as engaging in work, extracurricular activities, studying or exercising.

Furthermore, recent researches  estimated that the amount of money spent on qat has increased from YR14.6 billion in 1990 to YR213.2 billion in 2010, and this figure continues to grow. Researchers have also estimated that families spend about 21 percent of their income on qat, although the real amount of money may be greater. One of the most serious economic side effects of the habit is the cost for consumers who lie at the lower end of the economic scale. The daily expense of qat can lead to less money being available for food and other basic family needs.

Qat’s popularity in Yemen has led to its excessive cultivation, depleting the country’s agricultural resources. It is estimated that 47 percent of the country’s water supply goes towards irrigating qat crops, with production increasing by about 10 to 15 percent every year. Water consumption is so high that groundwater levels in the Sana’a basin are diminishing and it is expected to dry out in just a little over 5 years.

One reason qat is cultivated so widely in Yemen is the high income it provides for farmers. Studies completed in 2001 estimated that the income from cultivating qat was about YR2.5 million per hectare, while it was only YR0.57 million per hectare for fruits. This is a strong reason for farmers to choose to cultivate qat over coffee, fruits, vegetables and grains. For this reason, between 1970 and 2000, the area on which qat was cultivated grew from 8,000 hectares to 103,000 hectares. However, these numbers are crude estimates and the real figures are believed to be much higher, according to agricultural officials and researchers.

Ideally, sustainable agriculture means farming in ways that provide a fair return for farmers’ work today while protecting or improving soil, water, and crop genetics for the use of future generations. It also means that local people and their communities are in control, that farming is based on cultural values, and that farming benefits the communities’ inhabitants economically, nutritionally and socially. But this will be difficult to achieve if qat continues to generate more return for the farmers than growing fruits, vegetables and grains.


Yemeni people devote much of their time to selling and buying qat.
Therefore, the Yemeni government should take measures to encourage farmers to move away from qat cultivation and instead advocate the planting of fruits, vegetables, coffee and grains. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including providing materials to those farmers who grow fruits and vegetables at subsidized costs and also placing a tax on qat. This tax would not only deter farmers from planting this crop, but more importantly, it would generate the necessary funds that could be used to off-set the losses that would be initially incurred when switching from qat farming to that of fruits, vegetables and grains.

Qat chewing is so popular amongst Yemenis that it is chewed at almost every gathering whether the festivities are large, such as wedding ceremonies, or small. The younger generations, mainly students, use qat as a stimulant to increase alertness and focus. Qat consumption is not something that is usually done once or twice a week; it is most commonly a daily practice.

In fact, qat consumers, according to several sources, chew for several hours daily. The amount of time spent chewing qat renders it a very serious issue. Today, despite the fact that many non-Yemenis from around the world drink Yemeni mocha, savored for its unique and bold taste, during social gatherings, Yemenis have instead used qat as a social substitute for this internationally-acclaimed beverage! Qat’s negative impact on Yemeni society is not only limited to the social, agricultural or economic realms, but more importantly it carries serious health risks. Qat chewing has been found to have some adverse effects on the human mind and body. It is for this reason that many religious scholars and clergymen from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries have prohibited the use and cultivation of this plant.

According to some research, qat can induce mild euphoria, and although this side effect is considered to be a positive as it stimulates conversation, there are many other effects that are clearly negative to qat chewers. Euphoria followed by mild depression is a common occurance in qat consumers, and these sudden highs and lows can be classified as manic. Further psychological consequences include hallucinations and nightmares.

Qat may also cause a loss of appetite, constipation, withdrawal symptoms, slight tremors and decreased libido. Research indicates that qat can cause ulceration of the gums and gastrointestinal tract, as wells as permanent teeth discoloration. Long term use can also precipitate renal and liver disease. Finally, many of the pesticides used to protect qat leaves from insects and bugs are not regulated; thus, excessive and improper usage has been associated with many types of cancers in qat chewers, including oral, gastrointestinal, liver, renal and bladder cancers, just to name a few.

In conclusion, although there are a few social gains in chewing qat there are far more detrimental effects. Qat chewing has a negative impact on Yemenis, both within Yemen and abroad. The time wasted chewing qat can be harvested in much better ways, including engaging in extracurricular activities, spiritual growth, studying and family functions. All of these alternatives have direct benefits that outweigh the few associated with qat chewing. If these alternatives are not encouraging reasons for the discontinuation of qat chewing, then the list of harmful effects that qat has on the individual, both mind and body, and the detrimental effects it has on the community at large are more than convincing.

To truly understand the negative impact that qat chewing has on Yemen as a nation, one needs to look no further than Yemen’s advancement in the educational, economic and professional realms in contrast to its gulf neighbors. Although qat is not the only reason why Yemen lags behind its neighboring counterparts, it has been a great impediment to Yemen’s advancement, and Yemen is better off without it.

Qat is the plague of Yemen and we need to work together on discouraging the habit of qat chewing and terminating its cultivation in order to ensure a more promising and fruitful future for the generations to come.