Prisms of Peace: Navigating Yemeni Perspectives on Water Security as a Pathway Toward Stability

Lindsey Bouzan, Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security (United States)

This paper aims to address two questions in the socio-environmental context of Yemen: (1) To what extent does experiencing water insecurity (water quantity: lack of rainfall, lack of access to water, flooding, drought; water quality: pollution) relate to environmental conflict within the community? (2) What are potential pathways to water cooperation in Yemen that can be co-created with local communities and also cross-regionally to reflect diverse perceptions, needs and priorities regarding water-related environmental concerns? This study develops a water security index through compiling water quantity and quality factors from a survey disseminated to over 3,000 Yemenites across 9 districts. Through factor analysis, we determined that direct effects on water quantity, drought and rainfall have the highest correlation and combined these to form the water quantity Index while water quality is assessed through factors related to water pollution. Preliminary results indicate that water quality enables cooperation, and water quantity is a driver for conflict.