Located on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is a predominantly arid sub-tropical country with average temperatures that vary depending on elevation and distance from the sea. To the west it borders the Red Sea and to the South the Gulf of Aden. More than half of Yemen is classified as a desert, and it has more than 112 islands in the Red Sea that are rich in mangroves and fisheries. Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crises has left most of its population at risk of hunger, disease, insufficient water, and limited sanitation services (World Bank Group, 2024).  

Extreme temperatures, floods, landslides, and droughts naturally occur in Yemen; however, climate change is expected to exacerbate the effects of these risks (World Bank Group, 2023). These factors, along with the ongoing conflict, recent natural disasters, and limited and destroyed infrastructure (among other factors) make Yemen the 10th most vulnerable country in the world according to the World Risk Report (2023). The IOM (2021) argues that rising sea levels mean that existing issues around water availability and quality are exacerbated by rising sea levels that have increased the salinity of aquifers near the coast. Further climate threats Yemen is expected to face include more frequent droughts, land degradation, reduced agricultural outputs, and the proliferation of vector- and waterborne diseases.  

According to the UNDP (2023) efforts to address the effects of climate change in Yemen hinge on efforts to reach a peaceful end to the ongoing conflict and to improve the country’s food and water security.