The importance of including environmental analysis

Recoding of the online panel "Yemen and its environment"

The conflict in Yemen is playing out in one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, where natural disasters, such as cyclones and flooding, are becoming more frequent and more destructive for both Yemenis and their environment. In this context, agricultural yield has dwindled and food insecurity further intensified exacerbating famine conditions, while off the western coast of Yemen sits the floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) SAFER threatening an oil spill which could wipe out marine biodiversity in the Red Sea and the livelihoods of thousands of Yemeni fishers.

The conflict has undoubtedly affected Yemen’s capacity to address these environmental challenges. What is more difficult to discern is how both environmental degradation and the failure to mitigate and adapt sustainably to the consequences are driving the conflict itself, with devastating political, economic and humanitarian implications. The question also remains whether meaningful dialogue on addressing these environmental issues is even possible in the current conflict context. Or whether perhaps environmental challenges should be prioritised as a part of peacebuilding efforts and a comprehensive peace process in Yemen.

One can watch a video of the online panel discussion from 2 March on the environmental dimensions to conflict and peacebuilding in Yemen.