Locations
Yemen Improved Water Management and Irrigation for Sustainability and Efficiency Project (IWISE)
Project Summary
Yemen is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with roughly 17 million people lacking sufficient water for their basic daily needs and facing acute food insecurity. To address this, the IWISE Project has launched as Phase 1 of a larger 10-year Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) supported by the World Bank. With an initial US$ 150 million grant, the project aims to strengthen climate resilience and water security for vulnerable populations in the Aden-Tuban and Wadi Hajir basins.
The project is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS):
● The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) leads the development of a national Climate and Water Information Management System (CWIMS), the improvement of integrated watershed management, and the expansion of climate-resilient agricultural irrigation.
● The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) leads the restoration and expansion of resilient water supply and sanitation (WASH) infrastructure, focusing on urban, peri-urban, and internally displaced persons (IDP) communities.
Objectives
The objective of the project is to strengthen the climate and water information management system in Yemen and enhance climate-resilient irrigation services and access to water supply and sanitation services in selected basins.
Gender Empowerment
The project strengthens climate and water information systems and early warning mechanisms to better manage droughts, floods, and diseases that disproportionately affect women and girls. It supports women’s leadership through targeted skills training, safer and more accessible infrastructure, and expanded opportunities in water governance, irrigation, Cash‑for‑Work, and climate‑smart agriculture across all project components.
Related documents
Expected results
- A developed and operational National Climate and Water Information Management System (CWIMS).
- 850,000 people benefiting from enhanced resilience to climate risks.
- 475,000 people benefiting from enhanced resilience of terrestrial and aquatic systems.
- 375,000 people benefiting from climate-resilient infrastructure.
- 15,500 hectares of landscapes under enhanced conservation and/or sustainable management.
- 7,500 hectares of agricultural land area provided with climate-resilient irrigation and/or drainage services.
