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:

• Unmet Water Requirement: Syria confronts a high and increasing water deficit, over 20%, due to rising demand and inefficient usage. Water loss in public facilities and leakages in supply systems averages 35% nationally. Irrigated agriculture, consuming about 70% of water withdrawals, exacerbates this issue. Groundwater scarcity in major cities, where wells and spring water are crucial for domestic and industrial uses, adds to the severity. With population growth and policy-driven increases in industrial and food production, water demand is expected to surge.

• Pollution and Salinization: Widespread and severe water pollution affects major urban areas and agricultural lands. The Euphrates Basins, in particular, suffer from severe soil salinization. Reused water from irrigation, domestic, and industrial sources often lacks proper treatment.

• Inefficient Management: Water management institutions are hindered by fragmented control, absence of monitoring and evaluation, technical knowledge gaps, and data management issues.

• Underdevelopment of Water Projects: Issues like inefficient irrigation methods, insufficient maintenance, and water loss through evaporation and urban system leakages persist.

• Financial Burdens and Limitations: Financial challenges include the gap between cost and income of irrigated crops, subsidized water charges, overvalued currency in water project construction, and lack of financial objectives in water authorities. Syria’s lower income status further complicates infrastructure and capacity building.

• Irrational Methodology: There is a fundamental lack of understanding of water value and management needs among responsible personnel.

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:

• Controlling water demand through prioritization, proper pricing, and efficient operations.

• Enhancing water resource management with institutional changes, pollution control, groundwater use regulation, and improved data management.

• Developing water resources, establishing methodologies, manuals, standards, and technical engineering solutions.

• Improving irrigation methods and regulating water resource use, including advanced irrigation techniques, water charges, and maintenance of irrigation projects.

• Education and training at various levels and socio-economic incentives for farmers.

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.