Syria is facing the most severe water crisis in modern history. All of Syria’s provinces have suffered, albeit to varying degrees, and it has had impacts on the majority of Syrians if not all of them.
In characterizing the water crisis, it can be said that it is comprehensive. It is a major issue in the agricultural sector, which dominates the country's economy.
Rain-fed agriculture, which is suffering from declining rainfall across most regions, is not the activity that has faced problems. Irrigated farming areas along river basins, such as the Euphrates and its tributaries, as well as the Orontes, Barada, and Yarmouk rivers, have seen a decrease in water supplies from wellsprings and rainfall, along with a decline in groundwater reserves. All of this has led to shortages in both the quantity and quality of Syria’s agricultural output, and it has had repercussions for livestock (including meat, hides, and dairy).
It seems only natural for the crisis to extend to drinking water as well. Demand for potable water is concentrated in Syria’s major cities- oases with high population density like Damascus, Aleppo, and most cities in the south and north. Rising population density and other factors have contributed to depleting surface water from rivers and springs, as well as most groundwater reserves. Today, water is rationed in most areas, both urban and rural, with access to drinking water limited to periods ranging between two and five days.
This limited supply is expected to shrink further unless reforms are implemented and serious measures that introduce effective solutions are taken.
A severe shortage of water is one aspect of Syria’s water crisis. Another is the deterioration of the water’s quality as a result of wide-ranging interventions and contaminations over the past few decades. Some water sources have become unfit for consumption, and others unsuitable for agricultural use without treatment.
The deterioration of Syria’s water quality to the point where it has become unusable was born of an array of interconnected causes. In addition to climate change, which has reduced rainfall and led to rising temperatures, water management in the country has played a prominent role in compounding the crisis. Corruption has been a major driver of water depletion, as certain individuals have been allowed to exploit water in an excessive and unregulated manner. One of the most significant consequences of this corruption has been the collapse of river basins: in the Khabur in the Jazira region, the Orontes in central Syria, and the rivers of the Damascus Ghouta. These policies have also led to the pollution of water sources, both above and below the ground.
Contamination is often the result of misuse, like releasing untreated sewage and wastewater from various industries into rivers and lakes. The years of war (2011 to 2024) aggravated things. Waterways and basins were polluted by primitive oil refining and the heavy use of munitions.
The consequences of Syria’s water crisis are profound. It undermines the nation’s ability to achieve stability and ensure sustainable development, as well as worsening living conditions. If the crisis continues to worsen, it will lead to a broad array of political, economic, social, and security-related problems in the future. Given the gravity of this issue, a comprehensive national plan is needed to address it and overcome the challenges it poses to Syria and its citizens.
Based on available data, any national water plan must be built on three main pillars. First, the creation of a water map that identifies the country’s various water sources and their potential for development; this map would serve as a foundation for water policy across all sectors. Second, raising awareness about the water resources and good practices in using them, with particular emphasis on the importance of conservation and reducing unnecessary consumption.
Third, improving water resources in two key ways: securing fair agreements with neighboring countries over Syria’s rights to shared water resources (especially Turkiye, Iraq, and Lebanon) all of which share major rivers with Syria, including the Tigris, Euphrates, and Orontes; and strengthening efforts for water recycling and reuse.
The water crisis has become a vicious and pressing problem that demands radical solutions from both the government and the broader Syrian population. Otherwise, Syria will fail to overcome the current and future dangers and challenges it poses to the people and the country.
