Project to rehabilitate nature reserves in Yemen aims to mitigate effects of war

ADEN -- Yemen's government has pledged to rehabilitate three nature reserves in early 2023, in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), protecting the environment while creating jobs.

The project aims to rehabilitate three nature reserves which have suffered from neglect as a result of the war: the Atma reserve in Dhamar province; Hawf, in al-Mahra province; and a reserve on the Socotra archipelago.

The project also aims to create job opportunities for local residents in these areas and mitigate the impact of the eight-year conflict, triggered by the Iran-backed Houthis' coup in Sanaa in September 2014.

On October 30, Yemen's Minister of Water and Environment Tawfiq al-Sharjabi announced that the government would allocate $17.5 million to support the three nature reserves.

The project will create "green jobs" in the reserves, he said.

The initiative aims to help farmers and fishermen develop agricultural biodiversity and rational use of marine resources, as well as develop individual and institutional capabilities for environmental progress, he said.

The funding is provided by Yemen's budget allocations to the environment, as part of the seventh phase of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The GEF is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants and mercury.

The project aims to rehabilitate 25,000 hectares of land in natural reserves and 75,000 hectares of pasture lands.

It also intends to develop forests in the three reserves and rehabilitate large marine habitat areas in Socotra and Hawf, as well as 300 hectares of forest, al-Sharjabi said.

The importance of the project lies in enhancing resilient and sustainable livelihoods for the rural population in Yemen, the FAO said in a statement.

Mitigating the effects of war

Economist Abdul Aziz Thabet said the government's sponsorship of the project is aimed at supporting residents who live in these areas by creating sustainable job opportunities that will mitigate the effects of the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

The government seeks to improve and rehabilitate these reserves and help local residents deal with the economic fallout from the war and contribute to food security through agricultural, animal and fish production, he said.

The three nature reserves are environmentally diverse, with stunning nature and a variety of trees, medicinal and aromatic plants and rare animals and birds, Thabet said.

Some local residents have tampered with these reserves in recent years, especially as the war sank the economy, he said, by using them as pastureland for livestock or cutting down trees for firewood.

Thabet said the livelihood project in the three reserves will provide opportunities for development by preserving and protecting biodiversity and natural resources while creating job opportunities for residents.

The project "helps communities overcome the effects of climate change" while "creating job opportunities, increasing production and supporting food security", said Ahmed al-Misbahi, who belongs to Yemen's Geographical Society.

"Not long ago, the government called on donor organisations to support livelihood projects, as it is the best way to make use of economic support," economist Faris al-Najjar told Al-Mashareq.

Supporting projects like these helps increase the production of the agricultural and fishery sectors and improve workers' income, he said, and this will be reflected in the country's economy and overall standard of living.