Water Use and Management in Syria

Client 

JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency >


Client Type 

International Organization, Institutional Donor

Year 

1996 - 2002


Status 

Completed

Project Summary

Our experts (pre-LUGARIT) patriciate with a team from Japan’s Nippon Koei and Sanyu Consultants for delivering a study on water resources development in the north-western and central water basins in Syria.  The study was carried out under the technical assistance program of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Ministry of Irrigation in Syria.


Our experts worked on 7 river basins (including the Capital Damascus) with an area of ~ 111,000 sq.km.  Our role involved extensive data collection and analysis to identify present and future challenges to the use and management of local freshwater resources, and then outlining elements of a national water strategy and a set of critical, practical, and cost-effective management recommendations to reduce the strain on water resources.


Our team’s findings highlight Syria's pressing water challenges amidst its growing urban population and reliance on agriculture. Situated in a region of acute water scarcity, Syria faces significant water-related issues, including:



Our experts recommended a water strategy that emphasizes managing water resources as a national priority. Immediate, decisive actions are suggested, inspired by global experiences in sustainable development. Key elements include controlling water demand, reconstructing water management for increased food production, reducing water pollution, recognizing water as an economic resource, building human and institutional capacities, and improving methodology and data access.


Recommendations for improving domestic, industrial, and irrigation water use include:


While our team’s recommendations exist on paper, their implementation and enforcement have been lacking. We tried to reinvigorate these strategies with a renewed sense of urgency.

Project Credits

The Project involved a large team of local and international consultants.  

The services quoted here were delivered by our expert (pre-LUGARIT):

Anonymous

Nihad Alamiri >

Header Photo

View of the Euphrates river (Al-Furat), the most important river in Syria. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia.  Photo © Funtay - via ShutterStock.  Link >