Syria’s Water Crisis Between Climate Change and Dysfunctional Management

Entrance:

The water crisis in Syria is no longer just a seasonal deviation from normal rates, or even an accidental result of climate change, but a mirror that reflects the cracking of the state’s institutional structure under the Assad regime and the decline of long-term planning.
With annual per capita water use crossing the danger threshold, reaching less than 500 cubic meters in mid-2025, the country is teetering on the brink of thirst, food insecurity, and increasing social friction.
This multidimensional crisis requires more than just technical solutions.
According to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (2025), the lack of coordination between local and international institutions and the absence of an integrated national strategy contributed to turning the crisis into an existential challenge that threatens the social and economic fabric of the country.

Natural and climatic context:

Syria is located in one of the most water-stressed regions, which has put it at the center of the effects of climate change. Rainfall has fallen to less than 45% of its annual average, groundwater recharge has decreased by nearly 60% compared to a decade ago, the Euphrates River has lost nearly a third of its natural flow due to natural factors and regional pressures, and most seriously, the Barada River, the water lung of Damascus, has been completely cut off for the first time since climate records began.

As for underground reservoirs, they have been depleted at rates exceeding 150% of their annual recharge, resulting in a drop of more than 40% in areas such as Rif Dimashq and Hasakah. These indicators no longer belong in environmental geography textbooks, but have come to dictate the daily behavior of millions of Syrians.
According to the ESCWA survey (2025), 70% of the population in rural areas rely on unsafe water sources, which has increased the rates of waterborne diseases.
In Damascus, for example, residents live between a tap that rarely provides water and an expensive tanker that most people can’t afford.

Daily water cuts of up to 20 hours in entire neighborhoods, while the price of a water tanker (5,000 liters) exceeds the ability of 80 percent of households.
In rural areas, the landscape is even more fragile and dangerous. Some 700,000 people in Hasakah rely on wells contaminated with sewage, leading to repeated outbreaks of cholera and viral hepatitis.
About 30 percent of the agricultural land in Rural Damascus is out of service due to the depletion of wells, doubling the food burden with each season.

According to the FAO (May 2025), the decline in domestic wheat production has reached 60% compared to previous years, forcing the regime to import $1.2 billion a year of wheat, at a time when the public budget is under pressure from inflation and debt.

Fundamental flaws in the management architecture:

Since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, more than half of the water and sanitation facilities have been directly or indirectly damaged, making partial or random operation of the system the norm.
At the network level, it is estimated that between 46% and 60% of drinking water is lost due to leaks in old pipes.
The agricultural sector, which is responsible for more than 85 percent of the country’s water consumption, still uses flood irrigation methods, despite the availability of modern technologies that double this figure.
With electricity production down by up to 70 percent, pumps at treatment plants have been unable to operate regularly, leading to a series of semi-systematic outages.
According to the Syrian Ministry of Water Resources (May 2025), rehabilitating existing networks requires investments of more than $5 billion, an amount the government cannot afford under the current economic situation.
The contribution of agriculture to GDP has fallen from 30% in 2011 to 13% in mid-2025.
With the collapse of local wheat production, the import bill has reached about $1.2 billion annually, increasing pressure on a financial sector already under siege and inflation.

The crisis also led to a new wave of internal displacement, with more than 2.5 million people moving from rural areas to major cities, resulting in urban sprawl in unprepared environments and rising indicators of poverty and health vulnerability. Complaints have also increased about the emergence of a shadow economy based on the sale of water, akin to a monopoly on the survival market.
40% of households in Aleppo rely on unofficial water distributors, which has increased prices by 200% in two years.

Towards smart water management: Technology as a partner, not a replacement:

Smart irrigation systems are gradually becoming widespread in small and medium-sized enterprises, programs have been developed to teach farmers to use these systems through virtual reality, and some regions are experimenting with gray water reuse and innovations to exploit condensation from air conditioners in public buildings.
The $1.2 billion seawater desalination project, announced at the end of June 2025, is a pivotal experiment in this context, especially in light of the expected recurrence of periodic drought years, and the construction of 284 wastewater treatment plants to cover the irrigation needs of more than 100,000 hectares, a step that represents a qualitative shift in official water thinking.
The project involves building desalination plants on the Syrian coast with shared modern technology and international support, raising questions about the autonomy of the water decision.

Success in confronting the crisis depends not only on infrastructure, but also on institutional structure and public awareness. Adopting a tiered pricing policy for water consumption, linking well drilling to a strict licensing system, and encouraging low-flow building systems are all necessary measures to stabilize a rational water economy.
But the most significant change may come from the street, where civil society organizations have started real pressure campaigns, such as the “A Drop Equals a Life” initiative that collected more than 500,000 signatures in Damascus, demanding water policy reforms and spending priorities.

According to Al-Jumhuriya.net (June 2025), these campaigns prompted the government to form a committee to study amending the water law, including imposing fines for excessive consumption.

Conclusion:

Water security is a matter of sovereignty that cannot be postponed:
The water crisis in Syria is no longer a sectoral crisis, but a national project crisis. It is an issue that requires a restructuring in administrative thinking and a political and social investment in the culture of consumption and production.
If the response to the crisis continues within traditional frameworks, the next storm may not only be an environmental drought, but also a social thirst and sovereign exposure.

Therefore, we at the Economic Office of Syrian Future Movement recommend what we believe can contribute to building a sustainable water policy in Syria:

First, at the policy and institutional level:

• Integrating water management into the national security strategy, reflecting that water security is as important as sovereignty and borders, especially as per capita shares are set to reach critical levels by 2030.
• Reform legislative frameworks governing water use, by imposing a transparent licensing system for drilling wells, and toughening penalties for overuse or illegal use of groundwater.
• Enacting fair progressive pricing for water consumption that encourages rationalization without prejudice to the poor, while supporting social protection networks to ensure fair access to water.
• Establishing an independent national water authority with coordinating authority between stakeholders (agriculture, energy, housing, environment) and setting policies based on evidence and international standards.

II: At the technical and planning level:

• Expanding the adoption of smart irrigation systems in agriculture, and incentivizing farmers to switch from flood irrigation to drip irrigation and efficient spraying techniques.
• Launching a national program to reuse gray water in homes and public facilities, and encouraging innovation in decentralized water treatment technologies.
• Accelerate the implementation of seawater desalination projects in coastal areas, taking into account environmental aspects and energy costs by linking them to renewable energy sources.
• Rehabilitating and modernizing water networks to reduce losses to less than 20% by improving pipe materials and early leak detection systems.

III: At the societal and cultural level:

• Launching comprehensive national awareness campaigns to change consumption behaviors, starting in schools and reaching the media, under a slogan that restores water’s existential value.
• Support local and municipal initiatives to monitor water quality, maintain community wells, and engage residents in local water planning.
• Strengthening the role of women in water resources management, especially in rural areas, as a key player in agricultural and domestic consumption.
• Linking agricultural support programs to water efficiency as a prerequisite for aid, to incentivize sustainable agriculture

IV: At the international and regional level:

• Reactivating regional agreements on shared rivers, especially the Euphrates River, through balanced diplomatic approaches based on shared harm and benefit.
• Seek technical and financial support from international organizations to develop drought adaptation projects and bring in expertise in circular economy and reuse.
• Building partnerships with research and expertise centers such as ICARDA and FAO to develop less water-intensive agricultural varieties and early warning systems to predict dry seasons.

References:

1. International Committee of the Red Cross (2025): Field reports on the water situation in Damascus and Hasakah.
2. ESCWA (2025): Water Security and Cost of Living Survey in Syria.
3. FAO, May 2025: A guide to modern technologies in agricultural water management.
4. Syrian Ministry of Water Resources, May 2025: Water Loss Reduction Strategy.
5. Syrian Official Gazette – Al-Thawra newspaper, June 2025: Climate Studies Center statements.
6. Al Jazeera Net, June 2025: Reports of declining wheat crops.
7. Republic.net, June 2025: Analytical articles on reconstruction and water security.
8. Interview with engineer Nader Al-Bunni, Independent Arabic, June 20, 2025.
9. Asia Agency, June 24, 2025: Reports on government desalination projects.