Climate Change in the Context of Yemen:

Yemen is suffering from the earth resource degradation at about 12.5% of the total area amounts to about 45.5 million hectares. The desertification threatens about 97% of the land and eliminates arable lands at about 3-5% per annum, furthermore. Rather, the forests deteriorate and shrink at a rate of 1% per annum due to drought, agricultural activities, excessive pasture and logging. The biodiversity declines along with the reduction of the wild vegetation cover, noting that Yemen has the richest biodiversity in the region. Marine and coastal environment degrades because of the natural habitats decline and overfishing, which hinders fish spawning reproduction, and a variety of marine species. In addition, coral reefs and marine life are exposed to destruction caused by trawl nets, explosives, filling or bulldozing the natural beach line dredging, or ships pollution and oil tanker spills.

The air is exposed to carbon dioxide pollution due to the emissions of factories, power plants, transportation, and waste sanitation in the cities. Most studies indicate that the effects of climatic conditions changing in Yemen are expected to be significant and harmful due to water shortage aggravation and acid rains that impact agriculture and groundwater storage. The global warming and higher earth temperature phenomena contribute to the fluctuations in rainfall rate; rather, it falls in non-agricultural seasons.

The people who live in poverty will be hardest hit by climate change. The poor are more dependent on natural resources and have less of an ability to adapt to a changing climate. Diseases, declining crop yields and natural disasters are just a few of the impacts of climate change that could devastate Yemen's most vulnerable communities.

Approach:

As the poorest and most water-insecure country in the Middle East and North African region, Yemen faces serious risks from climate change. More than half of Yemen’s population lives on incomes below the poverty line, and the mostly rural population continues to grow rapidly. Ongoing conflict and a lack of adequate environmental management policies (among other factors) position Yemen at a great disadvantage in facing future impacts of climate change. Hence, IYCY pays great attention to the issues of climate change, environmental and energy in Yemen

The program aims to spread awareness and building capacity of young Yemeni people in Climate change, Energy and Environment through a various of activities and implemented projects.

What we do in EECH program:

IYCY believes that young Yemeni people had a lot of energy, but still felt uninformed and uninvolved. Through the EECH Program, IYCY tries to help youth understand the environmental issues while utilizing their energy to work toward positive change.

In fact, the International Youth Council-Yemen has been paying intention to this since 2014, and has been integrating those kinds of relevant activities with its projects in different approaches as follows:

1. Capacity building for Yemeni Youth and Local authorities:

IYCY has implemented series of training workshop for Yemeni Youth concerning a vocational training in Solar system as well as an introduction to Climate change policies, adaptation, mitigation, and environmental protection and Biodiversity conservation. In addition, training sessions was implemented to introduce to them about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 2. Develop Solar Policy and Legislative Framework:

Developing of appropriate national solar energy planning capacities which includes conducive policy and legislative frameworks are essential instruments to facilitate expansion of solar energy in Yemen. The solar policy will remove barriers that are preventing expansion of solar energy as well as extensive engagements of private sector. The policy will identify appropriate cost –effective instruments (i.e. economic, financial, fiscal policy instruments) to incentive of expansion of solar energy and extensive engagement of private sector in Yemen. It worth noting that signing of the official accession to the World.

3. Adapting to climate change, and Assess the gaps and needs:

Our main focus area is on researches and studies, particularly in conducting climate risk and vulnerability analyses, also in identifying the priorities and implementing appropriate adaptation measures. We actually concern much in conducting field studies in order to assess the needs, gaps, as well as measuring the impact and change for the stakeholders. We also work on awareness sessions that help the community to understand the impact of Climate Change.

4. Promoting the solar energy to be wider used and utilized:

We indeed work in developing the technical capacity of local actors and contributing to more enabling environment. It promotes the market introduction and grid connection of solar facilities, as well as the application of solar technologies for industrial processes. If entrepreneurs and the relevant politicians are more familiar with solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power/concentrated solar thermal and photovoltaics, and if they integrate those energy sources into the electricity grid, they will provide Yemen with a long-term option to diversify its energy mix.

5. Implementing and introducing solar energy as an effective tool in the field and measuring the impact:

We do implement initiatives in introducing solar energy and renewable sources application in the facilities by supporting them and providing solar energy systems so that the use of these sources will definitely play a crucial role in making difference and fulfilling the change in term of using sustainable and save energy resources.

6. Environmental Awareness sessions:

We do Environmental Awareness Sessions in various areas such as Air Pollution, Climate Change, Land Degradation, Hygiene promotion, planting trees, Biodiversity Conservation and Renewable Energy.

 

The Benefits:

IYCY has been actively involved in the field of climate change, several workshops have been conducted with policy makers, private sectors, NGOs and other stakeholders, number of guides have been developed, as well as various coordination activities have been taken place.

In term of researches and studies, more 6 field studies and multi-assessments have been conducted in 5 governorates, aimed at assessing and evaluating health sectors needs in regard of solar energy utilization, gaps and needs, priorities, and measuring the significance and the impact of these kids of alternative energy recourses.

IYCY has implemented, by supporting of UN-OCHA Yemen, several projects which successfully achieved occupying and supporting more than 15 hospitals and rural health centers by full solar energy system to enhance and supporting them to provide high quality services to people in more than 10 districts in two governorates.

In the area of climate change, IYCY can draw on numerous alliances and cooperation arrangements with renowned research facilities, other specialist institutions, and donors. Since we regularly participate in the international climate activities, we have direct contacts to developments and decisions at international level, which we translate into practice with the help of our innovative approaches.

Activities and Achievements:

IYCY's work in the Environment, Energy and Climate change:

• 3823 people reached with cleaning campaign (solid waste collection and disposal in Mawzaa and Maqqbanah districts through YHF - Yemen funding "life-saving integrated emergency interventions project in health, nutrition, water, environmental sanitation and hygiene.

• IYCY participated at the IPEN’s 2020 Global Forum and Meeting.

International Youth Council Yemen (IYCY) has participated at the IPEN’s 2020 Global Meeting and Forum on Chemicals and Waste in Ethiopia from 6-10 February as a Local Organization from Yemen. IYCY's Chairman Mr. Tareq Hassan said the forum has highlighted many topics to protect human health and the Environment and as well capacity buildings sessions for civil society organizations attend the meeting. He added that IYCY has IPEN Membership since 2018 and IYCY pay a great tension to Waste and Plastic pollution and has implemented many awareness campaigns in Yemen.

• IYCY team members have participated at the Induction, capacity development and planning workshop for the Arab Land Initiative from 1-6 February 2020, Cairo, Egypt.

The events have been organized by UN-Habitat, UTI, GLTN, and GIZ. IYCY team have shared their views on the role of civil society on land Governance to the Arab Land Initiative partners. Hence, the event was crucial to exchange knowledge among the partners and experts in field of Land Governance in the Arab region.

• The International Youth Council – Yemen represented by the Chairman of the Council Mr. Tareq Hassan has participated at Climate Change Conference (COP 25) & Conference of Youth 15 (COY 15). (27 November -13 December 2019) - Madrid –Spain.

• The International Youth Council – Yemen participated at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop (29 October – 1 November 2019). Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

• Cholera Emergency Response Project (7080) in Taiz governorate in directorates of (Jabal Habashi - Mukabna - Al-Mukhaa - Al-Wazea'iyah - condolence - Sharab Al-Runea) Funded by UN-OCHA Yemen.

IYCY implemented clean campaign to eradicate Cholera in the targeted districts.

 

• On October 15, 2019, International Youth Council - Yemen team with support from Yemen Humanitarian Fund continue community awareness activities in Makbanah district to the users of water sources to make them aware on how to identify contaminated water and how to deal with it.

 

• On October 10, 2019 The International Youth Council-Yemen (IYCY), has been granted observer status during the fourteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 14) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) which has decided to grant observer status to IYCY following with the Recommendation made by the UNCCD secretariat.

The Chairman of the Council Mr. Tareq Hassan said that this accreditation comes as a culmination of the efforts made by the IYCY in bringing about positive change in the Environment, Energy and Climate Change activities in Yemen throughout the past few years in various governorates of the Republic of Yemen, which have contributed significantly to build the capacities of young people and enable them to participate actively in the development of Yemeni society as well as through many awareness and campaign programs such as , Plastic Pollutions ,Water pollutions, Climate Change  and capacity building in  installing of solar energy as well as the implementation of installing solar system  to Medical Centers   to protect Yemen Environment.

• Awareness-raising Event on SDGs (19-20 September 2019)

In conjunction with the international action4sdgs campaign held by the United Nations Action Campaign for SDGs, a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), based on innovative and influential techniques to work towards sustainable development goals. Published in 2002 The Action Campaign for the United Nations SDG aims to create awareness about the 2030 agenda, empowering and inspiring people around the world to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), while generating political will and helping make goals reachable by 2030.

• (IYCY) launched a training course for the rehabilitation of the WASH Volunteers on Monday, 02 September 2019

International Youth Council - Yemen (IYCY) launched the training session for the rehabilitation of the WASH Volunteers team in Taizz - Maqbanah districts.

The course targets 20 WASH volunteers, aims to sharpen the skills they will undertake in the field to educate the community about environment messages, importance of hygiene, and personal hygiene. Within the project "IYCY Integrated emergency life-saving interventions with Nutrition, Health, WASH under the parameter 1 for most vulnerable affected populations group with high risk of famine and with high SAM prevalence in Maqbanah, and Mawza districts in Taizz", implemented by the International Youth Council-Yemen (IYCY) and funded by Yemen humanitarian fund (YHF).

• Training course in home solar systems installation- (Sana'a August 2019)

International Youth Council – Yemen (IYCY) held a specialized training course on installation of home solar systems as part of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Program. The course targeted 40 participants, mostly Engineers and academics.

• Training Course on "Energy Resources Governance in Yemen" (Sana'a July 2019)

International Youth Council Yemen (IYCY) held a training course on "Energy Resources Governance in Yemen". The training focused on reviewed the difference between the old and new governance until it reached the requirements of good governance and its characteristics and the role of global energy governance and the reasons for its emergence and the big players in this context. A total of 55 trainees participated in the workshop. In addition, the course has highlighted data and statistics on the energy situation in Yemen since the eighties until now.

• Training course in the installation of solar energy (Sana'a July 2019)

International Youth Council Yemen (IYCY) held a training course in the installation of solar energy. The course explained the characteristics of solar energy as one of the renewable and clean energy sources due to its economic and environmental advantages, and trained them sequentially and gradually in the topic of home solar energy. The course included the concepts of the home solar system and its components and ways to connect its components. In addition to how to design a complete solar system for homes and how to calculate the number of panels needed for the system and the capacity of batteries and types of wires and regulator charging and inverter ... etc. The course targeted 40 participants.

 

 

• IYCY has implemented, by supporting of UN-OCHA Yemen, several projects which successfully achieved occupying and supporting more than 15 hospitals and rural health centers by full solar energy system to enhance and supporting them to provide high quality services to people more than 10 districts in two governorates.

 

 

• IYCY participated as an observer and representative of the major groups and stakeholders (civil society) in West Asia at the fourth United Nation Environment Assembly UNEA-4

The International Youth Council - Yemen, represented by Eng. Tariq Hassan, Chairman of the Council, participated as an observer and representative of the major groups and stakeholders (civil society) in West Asia to initiate the United Nations Environment Program, on the work of the at the fourth United Nation Environment Assembly UNEA-4 held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from 4 - 15 March 2019, as all environmental stakeholders from 192 countries meet at the level of ministers, decision-makers, civil society organizations and international organizations.

Given that the International Youth Council - Yemen is the only Yemeni organization that has received recognition from the United Nations Environment Assembly, in view of the continuous efforts undertaken by IYCY in environmental awareness campaigns and the water and environmental sanitation program and youth empowerment in the field of sustainable development.

• IYCY has delivering a lecture on "The role of youth and researchers in sustainable development in conflict countries” at Doha Institute- Qatar March 2019.

• IYCY got UN Global Compact Membership

ON 27 November 2018, IYCY has got an official letter of participation in the Global Compact – the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative, with thousands of business participants and other stakeholders from civil society, labour and government located in 160 countries.

 

• Forward step to understand SDGs training courses (21-22 November 2018)

International Youth Council Yemen (IYCY) has implemented a series of training course Forward step to understand SDGs. The training courses targeted 154 participants from youth who interested in sustainable development. The training course was held in the youth tent - Sana'a. The training course began with a general definition of the 17 goals and the history of sustainable development goals. Each goal was then explained with its indicators, and how to make them achievable by 2030.

 

• IYCY AWARNESS campaign IN SOCIAL MEDIA ON BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION

• IYCY got Accreditation from UN Environment

On 2nd July 2018, International Youth Council-Yemen (IYCY), has been granted an Accreditation to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) of UN Environment previously known as the United Nations Environment Program, which grants them observer status to UNEA as the first Yemeni Organization due to its efforts in Environment and Sustainable Development in Yemen.

• IYCY with West Asia NGOs supporting the UN ENVIROMENTAL DAY.