Shibam, as well as many historic cities throughout the region, is threatened by structural, social and economic decline. Its history, stretching back thousands of years, makes Shibam a living witness to the process of civilization. It is therefore also of international interest to preserve the architectural heritage and cultural diversity of this World Heritage Site. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenar-beit (GTZ) GmbH is supporting this effort on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).