The Challenge

The Republic of Yemen has limited natural resources, most notably scarce water and arable land. While oil has become a source of revenue over the last 20 years, its exploited resources are declining. The population is young, predominantly rural, and rapidly growing. Despite development progress in recent years, including modest gains in reducing urban poverty, living conditions for most Yemenis remain difficult. The country ranks 160th out of 187 countries in the 2012 Human Development Index.

How We Are Helping?

UNCDF has been helping Yemen to meet its development challenges by supporting decentralization and governance improvements at the local level towards the overall goal of strengthening basic infrastructure of services. The Local Governance Support Project is supporting Yemen’s national strategy, working with both central government institutions and local government units to help them undertake needed reforms. At the same time, it is helping to develop a comprehensive legal framework for the local governance system, including amendments to the Constitution and the alignment of relevant policies that will support a more participatory approach to local development planning and natural resource management.

In Detail