Rebuilding Strategies For Enhancing Urban Resilience Post-Conflict: A Methodological Framework For Taiz And Sana'a, Yemen

Abstract

Post-conflict urban environments, exemplified by Sana'a and Taiz in Yemen vulnerabilities are made worse by climate change, fragile governance, and deteriorating infrastructure. Among the advantages of existing reconstruction models are their fragmentation, incapacity to account for systemic interdependencies (such as those involving water, electricity, and transportation), and lack of scalable integration between technical solutions and community requirements. This study proposes the Yemen resilience model, an integrated framework designed to bridge these sectoral and sociopolitical gaps and transform systemic risks into opportunities for sustained recovery. This study outlines the Yemen resilience model, an integrated framework designed to address the sociopolitical and sectoral gaps, turning systemic risks into sustained recovery opportunities. It utilizes a comprehensive mixed-methods design that consists of participatory workshops (n=535 stakeholders) and spatial analysis (flood and cluster mapping at 30m resolution using GIS) as well as case study comparisons with Beirut, Warsaw, and Baghdad. Data collection was done iteratively from Q4 2023 to Q2 2024. With the application of community co-design, phased infrastructure rehabilitation, and spatially explicit planning, the model showcases the transformation of innate vulnerabilities to robust resilience. It also provides conflict-affected cities a scalable model that advances a notable balance of just governance, preservation of heritage, and adaptive climate response. Significantly, the paradigm contributes to the knowledge base of practitioners and policymakers focusing on unstable environments with the aim of fostering crucial urban resilience and sustainability.