In a nation ravaged by over a decade of brutal conflict and grappling with one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, the escalating threat of climate change presents a formidable challenge. Yemen, ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, faces a future increasingly defined by extreme droughts, devastating floods, and erratic weather patterns that threaten to deepen existing wounds of water scarcity, food insecurity, and mass displacement.
Amidst this complex and perilous landscape, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a key international mechanism under the UN climate framework, has stepped in, focusing its initial efforts on building the foundations for climate resilience.
An evaluation of the GCF’s engagement reveals a portfolio primarily centered on preparatory support, reflecting the immense difficulties of operating in Yemen’s fragile context. As of early 2025, the GCF had committed approximately USD 6.4 million across six readiness projects, deliberately choosing to build institutional capacity and strategic planning frameworks before embarking on large-scale implementation projects.
This foundational work is deemed crucial in a country where the conflict has severely weakened state institutions and eroded the nation’s ability to adapt to climate shocks.
The intersection of conflict, climate vulnerability, and humanitarian need creates an exceptionally challenging environment. Millions of Yemenis are internally displaced, reliant on urgent aid, and face dire shortages of food and water, often bordering on famine conditions. Basic services have collapsed, and the economy lies shattered.
Layered upon this catastrophe is Yemen’s acute susceptibility to climate impacts — worsening droughts that parch agricultural lands, intense floods that destroy fragile infrastructure, rising sea levels threatening coastal communities, and an increase in pests and diseases. Experts warn that climate change acts as a potent “threat multiplier,” exacerbating the ongoing conflict and humanitarian suffering, particularly as competition intensifies over dwindling resources like water.
Recognizing this stark reality, the GCF’s readiness initiatives aim to equip Yemen with the tools to eventually tackle these challenges more effectively. Significant funding has been directed towards strengthening the capacity of Yemen’s National Designated Authority (NDA), housed within the Ministry of Water and Environment, enabling it to better coordinate climate action and manage climate finance.
Furthermore, the GCF is supporting the development of crucial national strategies, including the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, a Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), and updates to the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Support also extends to building capacity at the sub-national level, exemplified by a project focusing on water adaptation in the vulnerable Tuban delta.
The core focus of this initial GCF investment is preparedness — enhancing Yemen’s ability to anticipate, plan for, and manage the impacts of climate change. The support for the NAP process is central to this, aiming to establish systematic climate risk assessment, institutional coordination, and the development of adaptation priorities.
While direct, on-the-ground preparedness measures like early warning systems or climate-resilient infrastructure are not yet the focus, the current portfolio concentrates on creating the essential enabling environment for such actions to be planned, funded, and implemented effectively in the future. Positively, the integration of conflict sensitivity analysis within the NAP process signals an awareness of the need to tailor climate action to Yemen’s specific, conflict-affected reality.
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However, evaluating the true worth of this GCF support requires acknowledging significant limitations and challenges. The funding provided through readiness grants is relatively small compared to the vast scale of Yemen’s adaptation needs.
Moreover, the nature of readiness support means tangible, on-the-ground impacts will take time and depend heavily on securing subsequent, larger-scale funding for implementation. The extremely difficult operating context — marked by instability, access constraints, weak governance, and security risks — poses severe hurdles to effective project execution and sustainability. There are also concerns about ensuring genuine local ownership and capacity building, avoiding over-reliance on international consultants, and navigating the political fragmentation that complicates national coordination.
Looking ahead, recommendations emerging from the analysis suggest a multi-pronged approach. While continuing the vital foundational work, pathways should be sought to initiate tangible pilot projects that demonstrate climate resilience benefits. Deepening conflict sensitivity, integrating local knowledge, and enhancing coordination between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors are crucial.
Sustainable local capacity building must be prioritized, alongside flexible project management capable of adapting to the volatile context. Ultimately, advocating for larger-scale, context-appropriate funding that moves beyond readiness support will be essential.
In conclusion, the Green Climate Fund’s readiness support represents a necessary and strategically relevant first step in addressing Yemen’s climate vulnerability. By tackling critical institutional and planning gaps, it lays indispensable groundwork in an extraordinarily challenging environment.
Yet, the ultimate success and worth of this investment will hinge on overcoming formidable implementation obstacles and transitioning effectively from planning to tangible, scaled-up, and conflict-sensitive climate action that builds genuine resilience for the Yemeni people.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: A boy in a building damaged by the ongoing conflict, Yemen. Cover Photo Credit: UN OCHA/Giles Clarke.
