Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen has released a new report detailing Yemen’s likely climate future and how climate change could affect economic and human development in the long run.

Yemen is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and for decades has faced a worsening water crisis. Yet, like most low-income countries, Yemen has contributed little to the climate crisis. Climate change has no boundaries, and this report is a call for global action. 

The Impact of Climate Change on Human Development in Yemen analyses historical data on temperature and precipitation across regions and seasons and uses statistical techniques to forecast likely climate futures. It compares a likely climate change scenario to a counterfactual in which climate change does not occur. In a projected third scenario, key development interventions focused on building resilience to the threats posed by climate change are considered, accelerating progress towards better human development. 

The report projects an increase in malnutrition and poverty in Yemen if climate action to build resilience is not undertaken. With climate change, by 2060, it is projected that a cumulative $93 billion would be lost in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 3.8 million more people would suffer from malnutrition in Yemen. 

“Today, climate change is not theoretical; we are already witnessing changing weather patterns in Yemen, and the worse is yet to come. With no action, it is projected that climate change will be responsible for over 121, 000 deaths in Yemen by 2060. UNDP’s new report outlines how a strategy to build resilience can help to mitigate the projected impacts of climate change in Yemen, to secure a decent future for the next generation in an already fragile context,” says UNDP Yemen Resident Representative Zena Ali Ahmad. 

Commissioned by UNDP in the beginning of 2023, The Impact of Climate Change on Human Development in Yemen is the product of a collaboration with the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures, the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, the University of Denver, and Appalachian State University.

About UNDP:
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at https://www.undp.org/or follow at @UNDP.

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