UNDP Yemen: When Water is Hard to Reach and Climate Change Intensifies

Yemen is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. The per capita share of renewable water resources is only around 80 cubic meters per year, far below the global threshold of 1,000 cubic meters that defines water stress. With no permanent rivers, Yemen depends heavily on rainfall and rapidly depleting groundwater.

Rural communities are disproportionately affected by this water crisis. Over 14.5 million people in Yemen lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, the majority of whom live in rural and hard-to-reach areas. 

In villages like Saboon in Taiz, where Rana lives, people still fetch water from traditional wells, often walking long distances under harsh conditions. Without reliable infrastructure, these communities face recurring crop losses, land degradation, and limited economic opportunities. These factors push them further into poverty and heightened vulnerability.

Women and girls bear the brunt of water scarcity, as they are typically responsible for collecting water. In some rural parts of Yemen, women and girls walk for hours each way to fetch water. This time-consuming task not only affects their health and safety but also contributes to high school dropout rates among girls and restricts women’s ability to participate in education, economic activities, or community decision-making. As Rana notes, “Water scarcity heavily affects us women. We walk long distances to collect water from old wells, which requires significant effort and time.” 

The burden of collecting water is physical, social, and economic - reinforcing cycles of inequality and vulnerability. Recognising this, the Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture (IWRM-ERA) and Food Security Project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW, works to ensure the meaningful inclusion of women across all its activities. "As women, we participate in everything. From identifying community needs to planning and attending activities," shares Rana. 

“Conflicts over water access sometimes occur, especially when sources are scarce,” explains Rana. Indeed, research has indicated that 70–80 percent of all rural conflicts in Yemen are related to water. This high prevalence of water-related disputes underscores the vulnerability of communities already grappling with limited and unreliable water sources. Displacement and shifting rainfall patterns are all adding pressure on Yemen’s water supply networks, exacerbating Yemen’s decade-long conflict.

Food security in Yemen is also deeply intertwined with water access. As of 2024, over 17 million Yemenis face acute food insecurity according to recent UN reports. This number rises during periods of drought or conflict. Poor water access limits what and how much farmers can grow. Crops fail more frequently, and livestock suffer, leading to lower food availability and higher prices. The reliance on inefficient irrigation systems and water-thirsty crops like qat further compounds the problem.

Farmers like Rana are seeing progress from floodwater harvesting and small-scale infrastructure improvements, but the country urgently needs sustainable water solutions to stabilize food production. “UNDP’s IWRM-ERA Project implemented several interventions in our area, such as constructing retaining walls and improving water access. These walls help control floodwaters, preventing them from damaging farmlands. They also help us collect rainwater, which we use to irrigate trees and crops. This had led to noticeable growth in our trees and increased crop production,” explains Rana.

Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of Yemen’s water crisis. Around 80% of Yemen’s population lives below the poverty line, and most of them depend on agriculture and natural resources for survival. In water-scarce regions, families face impossible choices between buying food, accessing water, or sending children to school. The IWRM-ERA Project provides critical support to these communities by constructing water infrastructure, training farmers - with extra efforts to reach women farmers, and introducing climate-resilient practices. “Since the land is now protected and water is available, agricultural yields have improved, and farmers' income has increased. Families are benefiting both nutritionally and economically by selling the surplus produce,” says Rana.

These interventions offer a path forward, but long-term change in Yemen requires sustained investment in water governance, women’s empowerment, and rural development.