Abstract
Political instability and conflicts are contemporary problems across the Middle East. They threaten not only basic security, but also infrastructure performance. Supply infrastructure, providing basic services such as water and electricity, has been subjected to damage, capacity deterioration, and the bankruptcy of public providers. Often, in conflict countries such as Yemen, the continuity of basic supply is only possible thanks to adaptation efforts on the community and household levels. This paper examines the conflict resilience of water and energy supply infrastructure in Yemen during the armed conflict 2015–today. It contributes to resilience studies by linking knowledge on state fragility and conflicts, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure resilience. The paper presents adaptation responses of communities and public entities in the water and energy sectors in Yemen and critically evaluates these responses from the perspective of conflict resilience of infrastructure. The gained insights reaffirm the notion about the remarkable adaptive capacities of communities during conflicts and the importance of incorporating community-level adaptation responses into larger efforts to enhance the conflict resilience of infrastructure systems.
Highlights
The propagation of armed conflicts in the Middle East is a grand security challenge since the revolutions and the political changes of 2011, popularly characterized as the Arab Spring
Considering the tens of millions of people currently affected by the prolonged armed conflicts, the provision of basic services during such conflicts will continue to be a major technical and planning challenge for policymakers and aid agencies
The responses of communities, infrastructure planers, and donor organizations toward water and energy supply problems are examined with regard to their suitability for enhancing the conflict resilience of the infrastructure systems on the long run
Summary
The propagation of armed conflicts in the Middle East is a grand security challenge since the revolutions and the political changes of 2011, popularly characterized as the Arab Spring. These armed conflicts are still persistent with different intensities in the countries of Syria, Yemen, and Libya. The continuation of these conflicts poses an important risk with regard to the access and the safe water and energy supply of vulnerable populations. Wars in cities leave a heavy toll on the infrastructure supplying urban populations with health services, electricity, and fuel, as well as subsistence items such as food and water [1]
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