Executive Summary

Conflict, climate change, and governance gaps have left huge impacts on rural livelihoods… yet local initiatives and traditions remain the seeds of resilience and peace.^[1]

Yemen’s ongoing conflict and severe climate shocks have deeply disrupted rural livelihoods, further exacerbating food insecurity, water shortages, and socio-economic instability. While existing literature addresses water and agriculture issues, its ability to inform practical policy recommendations is often hindered by a lack of field data and localized insights into adaptation and governance mechanisms, especially in conflict-affected areas. This study bridges this critical gap by using grounded field data and localized analysis.

Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study assesses the livelihood resilience of rural agriculture communities by examining local adaptation practices, with a focus on indigenous agricultural methods and traditions. The research aimed to (i) investigate primary water sources used by Yemeni farmers and determine who controls access to these water sources; (ii) identify local initiatives, adaptations, and external support for farmers that have proven effective at building resilience; (iii) understand current social dynamics, particularly how internally displaced people (IDPs), women and marginalized groups impact agricultural and water practices and reshape social power structures; and (iv) through its recommendations, determine the social and governance steps necessary to promote and sustain effective water management practices.

To achieve these objectives, the study employed a mixed-methods approach including a desk review of published and unpublished materials, field surveys with 164 individuals from rural areas in Hadramawt, Taiz, Abyan, and Marib, and semi-structured interviews with 20 key informants. Additionally, six focus group discussions were conducted with farmers and experts between July and October 2025.

The paper argues that reviving traditional, locally rooted water systems offers a cost-effective strategy to climate resilience. However, this potential is currently undermined by misguided state policies that favor top-down irrigation and unequal water control, disproportionately harming small farmers, IDPs, and women. In areas where conflict has created a void in state governance, local actors have stepped in—reshaping social hierarchies through traditional tribal mediation, women’s economic agency, and innovation led by IDPs. The study concludes that sustaining this important indigenous resilience requires a governance model that combines traditional knowledge with modern methods, provides context-specific support, and respects local norms. Specifically, the paper recommends institutionalizing community-driven frameworks to ensure equitable access to water and agriculture, providing targeted support to marginalized groups, and implementing social and governance measures to promote long-term climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods for Yemenis.

This report is produced by the Sana’a Center and funded by UK aid from the UK government through the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme.