Conflict, climate change, and governance gaps are eroding Yemen’s environment
Yemen’s conflict has severely impacted its environment, reducing the quality and quantity of natural resources that many Yemenis depend on. Destructive military activities, including attacks on oil and gas infrastructure, the planting of mines, and other tactics, have caused widespread destruction, posing critical threats to the many Yemenis relying on water, fisheries, forests, and agricultural lands to earn a living. These crises also lead to gaps in public management and unsustainable livelihood practices, such as unregulated groundwater extraction for agriculture or overfishing in controlled areas, which have exacerbated the situation by reducing these essential resources for livelihoods.
Surface and groundwater sources, upon which Yemen relies, are becoming increasingly scarce, leading the country into a severe water crisis. At only 74 m³ per capita per annum, water availability in Yemen is the lowest globally and with groundwater being extracted well beyond recharge rates, Yemen’s ground reservoirs could dry completely in the next 20-25 years.
Climate change drives these tendencies to extremes. Between 1971 and 2020, mean temperatures increased 0.42°C per decade and are projected to rise by 1.2-3.3°C. In the same period, average rainfall decreased 6.5mm per decade, while the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall is expected to increase. These high temperatures and seasonal monsoon rains make the country prone to drought and flooding, as evidenced by the Cyclones Chapala and Megh of 2015 which affected a million people.
In such a complex crisis, political and conflict events have been the focus of attention in all discussions at the national level, with climate and the environment often forgotten. However, the reality is that Yemenis are very much cognisant of and worried about their environment, climatic changes, and how these are contributing to tensions and even new conflicts.
“There are tensions and conflicts that arise over resources, such as disputes over water resources. Instances of such problems have occurred, and there have been cases where conflicts over water tensions have led to violence and even loss of life… Some individuals do raise these issues to the state, but due to the absence of effective governance and law enforcement, most people resort to resolving them informally. However, the problem persists because there are no comprehensive solutions to address these issues at their root.”
Development specialist, Taiz
Consultations with Yemenis highlight the urgency of addressing climate and environmental challenges
A broad environmental peacemaking consultation conducted by the European Institute of Peace (EIP) with 2,463 people in the North and South of Yemen found that 70% of Yemenis perceive to be affected by environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change. This is a worrying finding, especially considering that 80% of the respondents depend on the environment and natural resources to sustain their livelihoods, and more than half of the surveyed have experienced tensions or conflicts concerning environmental issues, mostly about water but also about land and pollution.
While these local voices reaffirm how dire conditions are, the most striking findings were that over 85% of Yemenis consulted considered it essential to address environmental and climate issues, and 60% expressed support for integrating environmental considerations into conflict resolution. However, many of the people engaged were unaware of policy and legislative frameworks of climate and environmental governance, nor did they know who to approach to address these issues.
Community dialogues on environmental challenges pave the way for peace
Responding to these issues, EIP is implementing a set of community dialogues on environmental and climate risks that are being aggravated by hampered resilience after years of conflict. Called Environmental Peacemaking Community Dialogues, these efforts have been far-reaching, occurring in Marib, Aden, Taizz, Mocha, Hadramawt, and Al-Mahra.
The Dialogues are opening a space for discussion over shared climate and environmental risks, fostering cooperation between communities and authorities. Diverse influential participants discuss environmentally sustainable and impactful solutions that could address both environmental and conflict risks and, in this manner, the Dialogues are contributing to strengthening the local social fabric. In addition, the Dialogues address the challenges of environmental governance faced by local authorities and the low engagement of communities with authorities. By bringing together local community leaders such as tribal sheikhs and business owners, governing officers and civil activists, the Dialogues create a dedicated space to build trust between these actors by identifying the most pressing environmental issues in their areas.
Mr Abdullah Al-Bakri, Deputy Governor of Marib and Tribal Leader, said during the community dialogue:
“Climate change have caused chaos in the universe, and we must move towards a culture of dialogue, as this culture is the prelude to solving our problems. Through community dialogue, we can resolve issues, whether related to the environment or the conflicts and disputes that disrupt social peace and result in negative social consequences.
Unfortunately, in the past ten years, we have suffered from wars tied with numerous challenges, and we are going through difficult economic conditions caused by desertification and environmental imbalances. Notably, droughts has affected all sectors, whether agricultural or economic, leading to limited income.
Marib is one of the Yemeni governorates most affected by climate change and its impact on the environment, such as drought, desertification, and the scarcity of groundwater. In districts like Harib and Al-Jubah, as well as Al-Wadi District, digging a well now requires reaching a depth of 300 meters.
Through these community dialogues, which we consider the starting point for a local roadmap to peace and maintaining social security and safety, we must come out with a unified vision that is implemented with the people, in the ground, in the governorate, rather than just be written on papers that fade into oblivion.”