On Monday 27 Nov 2023
(9:00-10:00 Washington; 14:00-15:00 London; 15:00-16:00 Berlin; 17:00-18:00 Sana’a)
YPC is convening a panel discussion on ‘Climate Change and Conflict in Yemen: Exploring Intersections and Solutions’, scheduled strategically before the upcoming COP28 conference. This event aims to facilitate an in-depth analysis of the intricate links between climate-induced environmental challenges and political dynamics in Yemen, a region increasingly affected by climate change. Our panel will share insights, discuss innovative approaches to resilience, and examine the implications for policy and practice.
Our panel discussion gains particular relevance in the wake of the recent severe cyclone that struck al-Mahra governorate in Yemen a few weeks ago. Extreme weather events of this kind serve as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to climate change, and underscore the broader implications for political stability and security in a region already grappling with complex conflict dynamics.
To discuss, we will be joined by renowned experts in the fields of peacemaking and environmental and climate justice.
Helen Lackner is the author of Yemen in Crisis, Devastating Conflict, Fragile Hope (Saqi), and Yemen, Poverty and Conflict (Routledge) both published in 2023. She is also a regular contributor to Arab Digest, Orient XXI and Oxford Analytica among others. Her involvement with Yemen has been ongoing for 50 years and continues with consultancy work on different aspects of rural development with various international and bilateral financial institutions. Her current work gives particular attention to water and environmental issues. She has held a number of honorary positions with SOAS and the ECFR and is currently a non-resident fellow with the Sana’a Centre for Strategic Studies.
Musaed Aklan is a Senior Researcher at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, focused on water, the environment, and climate change. He holds a Master’s in Integrated Water Resources Management from Cologne University in Germany and a double PhD degree in Water Resources Management from IHE-Delft and Wageningen University in the Netherlands. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Aklan previously served as an advisor to Yemen’s Minister of Water and Environment and has undertaken research and consultancies with major international organizations, such as KFW, World Bank, GIZ and WHO. He has published a number of scientific papers and policy briefs that focused on current environment crises and sustainable solutions. Recently, he published ‘Extreme Weather and the Role of Early Warning Systems in Yemen: Al-Mahra as a Case Study‘ with the San’a Center.
Hadil al-Mowafak is an Associate Fellow with Yemen Policy Center. Her research focuses on issues related to peacebuilding, security sector reform, and environmental security. Previously she has worked with Mwatana Organization as a researcher of human rights violations, investigating cases of human rights abuses and possible war crimes. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, where she focused on international relations, law, human rights, and data science. She is currently based in California, USA. Hadil recently published her YPC paper ‘Rising Temperatures, Falling Resources: Climate Change Impacts on Yemen’s Agrarian and Coastal Communities’.
