Drought and war leave Syria struggling with water shortages

Shafaq News – Damascus

Years of war damage and one of the driest seasons in decades have pushed Syria into a severe water deficit, the Head of the General Authority for Water Resources said on Saturday.

Ahmad al-Kawan told Shafaq News that rainfall this year was well below average nationwide, leaving reservoirs depleted and irrigation networks strained. In Damascus, precipitation reached just 29% of its annual average, compared with 86% last year; in southern provinces such as Suwayda and Daraa, levels dropped to less than half of 2024’s totals.

“Uneven and intense showers caused floods instead of replenishing reservoirs, worsening the imbalance in our water budget."

Al-Kawan added that years of conflict have crippled irrigation systems covering some 500,000 hectares, with many pumping stations destroyed or left without maintenance. While the government and international agencies have restored parts of the network, large sections remain out of service.

Syria’s water supply also depends on rivers shared with neighbors, including the Orontes and Great Southern Rivers with Lebanon, the Yarmouk with Jordan, and the Euphrates with Iraq and Turkiye. Agreements exist to divide flows, though implementation has often faltered.

In July, Damascus pledged to pass Iraq’s 58% share of the Euphrates under long-standing accords, while retaining 42% for its own use. A joint Syrian–Iraqi committee monitors flows at al-Bukamal, with plans to establish an advanced gauging station on the border to improve accuracy.