اقرأ المحتوى باللغة العربية
A workshop focused on climate finance mobilization mechanisms and strategies relevant to Yemen concluded on Tuesday, November 26, in Amman, Jordan.
Held as part of the Rethinking Yemen’s Economy (RYE) Initiative, the Sana’a Center implemented the climate finance workshop aimed at addressing Yemen’s urgent need for funding as the nation faces escalating climate shocks.
Climate scientists first began warning of Yemen’s dangerously erratic rainfall patterns nearly 50 years ago. In recent years, the country has witnessed more extreme weather events, including flash floods that swept away vital infrastructure, unearthed unexploded ordinances, destroyed homes, displaced thousands, and contaminated water supplies, contributing to a cholera outbreak. In 2024, flooding in Yemen killed around a hundred people and affected more than half a million.
During the event, a delegation from Yemen’s Ministry of Water and Environment presented Yemen’s new Climate Finance Country Program (CFCP), an initiative launched just days before at COP29. The initiative was then discussed among the workshop participants, which included international climate finance experts, representatives of local NGOs, and civil society activists.
To reduce the harmful impact of climate change, Yemen must prepare a climate response. “Climate change has long been neglected compared to other crises in Yemen, but it must be moved up the priority ladder,” said Osamah al-Rawhani, Sana’a Center’s director of policy and partnerships. Outdated infrastructure requires strategic investment. Climate preparedness and adaptation plans, early warning and monitoring systems, and social safety nets all demand funding; at the same time, years of conflict have drawn the focus and financial resources away from Yemen’s climate crisis.
“Yemen is one of the most affected countries by climate change. Yet it is still one of the least climate-funded countries globally, despite contributing less than 0.03% to global greenhouse gas emissions,” Musaed Aklan, the senior climate researcher at the Sana’a Center, said during a presentation to workshop participants, “Yemen’s conflict has eclipsed the climate crisis for too long. It is time for local organizations to pivot from disaster response to adaptation.” Aklan noted that funding already exists and argued that Yemen is uniquely well-suited to receive climate finance from various climate funds.
Recommendations from the workshop will be incorporated into a policy brief prepared as part of the RYE initiative.
The RYE initiative aims to contribute to and support advancement toward inclusive and sustainable development and peace by engaging with Yemeni stakeholders on economic peacebuilding and promoting an improved understanding of crucial policy areas. It is implemented by DeepRoot Consulting, the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, and the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO).
The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies is an independent think tank that seeks to foster change through knowledge production, with a focus on Yemen and the surrounding region. The Center’s publications and programs, offered in Arabic and English, cover political, social, economic, and security developments, aiming to impact policy locally, regionally, and internationally.