Land Cover Atlas of Yemen

Understanding the utilization, distribution, temporal variations, and human activities related to natural resources is crucial for sustainable land management, especially in Yemen, a country grappling with prolonged conflicts and severe environmental challenges. The competition for natural resources such as water, arable land, and wood among various stakeholders with diverse interests often leads to land degradation and is a key driver of tensions and conflicts. Therefore, obtaining this fundamental information is imperative for promoting sustainable land use and mitigating the negative impacts of resource competition.In Yemen, land cover mapping is essential to support growing concerns about food and nutrition security, improving the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises in the context of climate change. This atlas contains the land cover dataset for Yemen, prepared as part of a portfolio of projects aimed at enhancing governance and preventing conflicts across the country. The ultimate goal is to reduce displacement and irregular migration by promoting household food security, nutrition, and income.Creating an accurate initial inventory of natural resources is critical for sustaining these achievements over time. The new land cover dataset allows for detailed mapping of natural resources, human settlements, and activities in Yemen. It represents an updated dataset developed for Yemen, integrating high-resolution multi-temporal imagery, machine-learning algorithms, and the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML) to support the Natural Resource Management strategy, land use planning, and other innovative approaches.