Syrian Environment Association assumes activities
Syria, Environment, 2/23/2002

A celebration was held on February 20th at the Damascus al-Adawi cultural center marking the signing of a contract for a grant assistance to the Syrian Environment Association. This contract falls in the framework of Japan's grant assistance for Grassroots projects, and states that the Government of Japan offers a grant assistance up to 39,453 USD to the Syrian Environment Association.

The ceremony held for this purpose was co-signed by the Japanese ambassador in Damascus Mr. Kishichiro AMAE and the President of the Syrian Environment association Dr. Qarqa Barmada. The signing ceremony was attended by the Syrian minister of the Environment Adnan Khuzam, the minister of social affairs and labor Mrs Ghada al-Jabi, the governor of Damascus city Ghassan al-Lahham and the governor of Damascus countryside Subhi Hameeda.

By this grant the Syrian environment association is going to start a campaign that aims at developing environmental public awareness regarding several issues as revival of Barada river, environment protection, curbing pollution and rationalizing the use of natural resources.

Under the campaign, several activities will be carried out such as: fact finding surveys that will be conducted by SEA's volunteers on villages alongside Barada River; then in a view of the results of the surveys, SEA is going to launch the awareness raising campaign that comprises four main components. The first is information dissemination through TV programs, TV spots, radio broadcasts, and photo exhibitions. The second is familiarization and support gathering activities through car tickets, T- shorts, posters, and billboard. The third is awareness raising and cleaning up campaigners using a mobile caravan ( equipped with environmental video films and brochures ), school visits, lab experiments conducted by students, and providing kits to test water quality. The fourth is securing co-ordination with local administration authorities regarding timed disposal of garbage, curbing illegal water pumping or hazardous waste dumping, and development of local sewage systems in some villages.

Worthy mentioning that the Syrian Environment Association was established in 2002 and its activities cover all Syrian territories in co-operation with the relevant public sides as the ministry of Environment, municipality councils and health departments towards curbing pollution, protecting health, and sustaining natural resources.

The Government of Japan has extended several former grant assistance that contributed to the development of environment conditions through providing garbage collecting and disposal equipment to cleanness departments in each of Damascus, Aleppo. This grant assistance to SEA in a new Japanese contribution demonstrating the outstanding co-operation and friendly relations between the Japanese and Syrian peoples.

Japan has started extending grant assistance to Non Governmental Organizations in Syria in 1996, since then, grant assistance have been extended with total amount up to USD 944,337 to finance total 28 projects.

In a speech he made at the contract's signing ceremony the Japanese ambassador in Damascus besides the current grant assistance which will cover several activities, Japan has extended several general grant assistance to finance projects that contribute to develop water resources and improve environment such as " the project for rehabilitation of water distribution pipelines in Damascus City," " the project for diversion of water from Rima village to supply southern suburbs of Damascus ," and " the project for establishment of water information center"' The ambassador also indicated that the Japanese International Co-operation Agency JICA has conducted several water development studies in Syria including a comprehensive study for development of water resources in the four main water basins. He said, in addition to that, several Japanese experts have been dispatched to work at the Ministry of Irrigation and Ministry of Housing and provide experience in water sector.

The ambassador concluded by saying this project, which is anew Japanese contribution to in water sector special token of the Japanese support to Syrian people in general and the blind in particular.

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