Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab region and is faced with political instability. An acute water crisis looms over the country, as Yemenis are among those populations with the lowest water availability per capita in the world.

Despite research and aid work in Yemen in recent years, significant knowledge gaps remain, especially concerning the use of national and local rules and procedures for solving water-related conflicts. This project aimed to better understand the political economy of Yemen’s water management as a precondition for effective conflict prevention and resolution.

Goals

  • Investigate the formal and informal political economy of water management in Yemen;
  • Outline three miniature case studies of the types of water-related conflicts and;
  • Provide recommendations for an intervention scenario to help prevent and resolve the possible water-related conflicts.

The team analyzed how water conflicts arise in these cases and identified the formal and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms. The team also addressed the role and effectiveness of best practices in water-related conflicts in the context of Yemen.

This project was financially supported by the Netherlands Ministry of International Trade and Development Cooperation (EKN Sana’a / Water Programme).