IOM Desk Review 2023: Report on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change in Yemen - Yemen - ReliefWeb

IOM Desk Review 2023: Report on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change in Yemen - Yemen | ReliefWeb

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 The Context

Yemen’s landscape comprises a predominantly desert climate, characterized by arid conditions. It is positioned at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and has a surface area of approximately 527,970 square kilometers.

Along its west coast, the climate turns hot and humid due to its proximity to the sea. The western mountains present a more temperate climate influenced by seasonal monsoons. In these areas, the weather exhibits greater variability. Conversely, the eastern regions of Yemen are marked by an exceptionally harsh desert environment, with extremely high temperatures and minimal precipitation. The estimated population of the country is 31.6 million people as of 2023 and is distributed unevenly across its varied topography, with notable population centers in cities such as Sana’a and Aden. The population is linguistically diverse, with Arabic being the predominant spoken language. Yemen’s ethnic background is predominantly Arab, although there are also Afro-Arab, Afro-Asiatic, South Asian, and European groups (CIA, 2023).

Yemen’s vulnerability to climate change and its dire consequences remains a persistent concern among scientists, policymakers, and the country’s 33 million inhabitants. The country is facing among the world’s worst water and food crises due to its highly arid climate and fast-depleting groundwater reserves, ranking as the 12th most water scarce country in the world (Acacia Water, 2021; FSIN, 2022; Kuzma et al., 2023). Groundwater depletion is alarmingly high in various regions of Yemen, particularly impacting the highlands, where annual declines in the water table range from 2 to 6 meters (FAO, 2023a). The high scarcity of water significantly impacts food security and nutrition climate-induced human mobility. Rapid population growth puts massive pressure on the limited water resources in Yemen due to over-extraction of groundwater, changing rainfall patterns, and inadequate water management policies. This scarcity has led to conflicts over agricultural and domestic water supplies and has significantly burdened vulnerable populations.

Climate change is expected to exacerbate these challenges, with temperatures rising, rainfall patterns becoming more unpredictable, and land degradation and desertification persisting or worsening (Lackner & al Eryani, 2020). The frequency of slow-onset processes is also on the rise in Yemen. Rising sea levels have increased the salinity of aquifers near the coast, leading to water supply deterioration and agricultural production decline (Lackner & al Eryani, 2020). In addition to climate change, factors such as environmental degradation, urbanization, demographic shifts, and migration patterns may be contributing to the nation’s growing vulnerability.

Unregulated overfishing and pollution from hydrocarbon extraction have also negatively impacted Yemen’s fisheries and health (Zabara & Zumbrägel, 2022).

The country is expected to face a wide array of climate-related challenges, including increased water scarcity, diminished water quality, more frequent droughts, shifting precipitation patterns, land degradation, reduced agricultural output, infrastructure damage, coastal zone deterioration, and the proliferation of vector-borne and water-borne diseases (Al-Akel, 2020; Price, 2022). And yet, Yemen is woefully underprepared to confront climate shocks, ranking 174th out of 185 countries on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN, 2022).1 Despite its vulnerability to climate change, however, Yemen’s contribution to global CO2 emissions remains minimal, accounting for a mere 0.03% as of 2020 (Price, 2022).

Yemen’s economy is classified as low-income and Yemen is consistently ranked as one of the least developed countries in the world (UNCTAD, 2022). Yemen’s fragile economy has been impacted by the civil war, resulting in severe damage to its infrastructure, trade networks, and economic institutions. While the country traditionally relied on oil and gas revenues, its reserves have been dwindling. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated existing challenges, leading to widespread poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment. Furthermore, Yemen faces the issue of high inflation, which further compounds the economic strain felt by its population (ICRC, 2021).

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has displaced over 4.5 million people . Simultaneously, it is a major transit hub for mixed migration flows from East Africa and the Horn towards Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries (IOM, 2023b). The number of arrivals of migrants and other mobile populations in Yemen from the Horn of Africa has significantly increased in recent years, driven by political and economic instability as well as serious droughts and other climate hazards in countries like Ethiopia and Somalia. Despite its own conflicts and environmental challenges, Yemen remains attractive to migrants who view it as a better alternative. However, Yemen struggles to support the growing immigrant population, as Gulf countries enact stricter border restrictions and push migrants to stay closer to their countries of origin. As a result, inbetween countries like Yemen are burdened with an immigrant population they cannot fully support (Binwaber, 2023). Amidst these challenges, the city of Aden, serving as southern Yemen’s largest urban center and a temporary capital since 2015, grapples with a diverse population mix, encompassing non-displaced residents, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and migrants and refugees (Zabara & Zumbrägel, 2022). The city of Marib is also increasingly becoming a refuge for migrants aiming to move westward, seeking economic opportunities and further migration to Saudi Arabia and beyond (IOM, 2022a). However, the growing migrant population in Marib has sparked various social issues, including HLP tensions, labor exploitation, and physical and psychological abuse of migrants (IOM, 2023d). The diverse population in Yemen poses unique complexities for humanitarian endeavors and protection efforts. For these reasons, approaches to orderly migration and sustainable development require a holistic approach that considers the environment, climate change, and migration as they intersect with one another.