Yemen’s climate fragility trap: Trends, consequences, and pathways for policy action
Yemen’s climate and conflict crises are deepening economic fragility and complicating the path toward recovery and sustainable growth. This policy brief examines Yemen’s climate-fragility trap to inform integrated, conflict-sensitive strategies that build resilience, strengthen governance, and support future investment in climate-vulnerable, growth-critical sectors.
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Srivastav-and-Liaqat-Policy-Brief-April-2025.pdf
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- Yemen has faced severe climate-induced shocks, including floods, droughts, and cyclones. These have led to significant infrastructure damage, food insecurity, displacement, and environmental degradation, worsening the country's humanitarian crisis.
- The ongoing conflict has further strained Yemen's economy, leading to a 50% GDP contraction between 2011-2022, high inflation, unemployment, and dependence on external financing. These are all compounded by a divided economic landscape due to political fragmentation.
- Climate change acts as a stress multiplier in Yemen, exacerbating vulnerabilities in rural areas reliant on agriculture and water resources, fuelling conflicts over scarce natural resources, and contributing to further displacement and social tensions.
- Addressing Yemen's climate-fragility trap requires a comprehensive approach, including short-term recovery policies (i.e., fiscal buffers, social safety nets, and emergency response) and long-term resilience strategies (i.e., climate-smart agriculture, water diversification, and governance strengthening), supported by international cooperation and targeted interventions.