From the time of the march towards achieving a holistic and sustainable development ensued by the Yemeni Government, State-officials, academicians, and community leaders started to develop stronger perception of the strong and significant link between population growth and the five-year socio-economic plans adopted and devised by Yemen. The first general census of population and housing (and other facilities) to this very day was carried out to learn more about the effects of Yemen’s annual population growth on the various aspects of life and living. Since then and to this very day, Yemen has been witnessing rapidly intense changes and accomplishments, especially with the accomplishment of the Yemen’s Reunification on 22 May 1990. The new established Republic of Yemen was capable of making large leaps and feats in various areas, including economic, social, political, security, environment fields. Albeit of being able to eliminate poverty, Yemen still has a lot of commitments to fulfill and challenges to overcome; some include bettering the standard of living of the population as a whole, delivering outreach services to urban and rural areas. This, nonetheless, demands concerted efforts from all in order to realize the realize the dimensions of population growth and their link and impact on achieving a comprehensive and sustainable development adopted by the State .

In line with the above, Sana’a University, represented by the Population Studies and Training Center committed itself to undertake the implementation of many various activities appertaining to population concerns and development matters. It also conducted many studies and facilitated and held workshops focusing mainly on population and development concerns. More importantly is that many graduates completed the High Diploma program centering on matters appertaining to demographic and development issues. The program was joined by many candidates concerned with population studies from ministries, institutions, authorities of the public sector and those of the private sector as well as Civil Society Organizations’ affiliates. It had a significant impact in raising the awareness of the candidates towards the importance of linking population growth with the holistic development process undertaking by the Government of Yemen. As a result, the significance of assessing the program academically, administratively and financially came to being. This however was not the case in the past as the program used to be offered in accordance with the Scientific Council’s Decision. Yet, new program assessment emphasized that changes taking place in various living aspects ought to be taken into consideration when setting up new ones, a matter which the Center underlines in order to be the beating heart of relevant activities and functions conducted at the University. The Center further underscored that it is highly essential to tie the State’s trends and policies conductive for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development with population issues and concerns.

For sure, this Manual, which clearly explicates the tasks and reflects the expectations of the Center’s affiliates, would strengthen the relation among public universities, ministries, state-owned authorities, agencies and entities on one hand and the privately-owned universities, institutions, agencies and CSO’s, on the other.

We do hope that this new Manual would present a clear picture of the Center’s objectives and mission for the sake of strengthen the Center’s  role at the University, state and community level. It is expected that the use of the Manual would  enable the Center to prepare and qualify skilled cadre having the potentials and aptitude to understand and realize changes locally taking place in the field of development. The Center’s graduates would be able to accurately perceive or forecast Yemen’s future based on its annual population growth rate and predict its impacts on all of walks of life. It is, then, possible to effectively and efficiently address population issues at their current status and overcome the impact of population growth on the process of development and the life of future generations.

Last but not least, I would like to extend my warm thanks and sincere gratitude to my fellow members of the Scientific Council, the Research and Population Studies Department for  their unfailing support, cooperation and determination to make the Department achieve and fulfill its mission. This is in order to galvanize and strengthen the role of the Center and promote its outputs, wishing everybody great success and progress and prosperity for our homeland, Yemen.