Syrian measures to combat water shortage crisis
Syria, Politics, 5/7/1999

Syria is cultivating the fruits of the agricultural and water policies pursued by the government throughout the previous decades, during which several dams were built all over the country and efforts were embarked on land-reclamation operations and in achieving food security and exporting cereals surpluses.

Although the recent weeks witnessed average rainfall in the coastal areas and several northern and eastern regions in Syria, average rainfall did not exceed half of the annual average, a situation Syria has not reached for two decades.

Average rainfall in Syria ranges between 1,000 mm in the mountainous heights and the coastal areas and some 100 mm in the southern Badia. The total rainfall is estimated at 45 billion cubic meters per year.

However the preliminary result of the rainfall shortage will have a clear impact on agricultural crops, as one million hectares in Syria depend on the rainfall, whereas state-run agricultural projects irrigate some 690,000 hectares.

For the current agricultural season, the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture had planned to produce 4.7 million tonnes of wheat, 1.4 million tonnes of barley, 212,000 tonnes of lentils, 103 million tonnes of chick peas, 1.3 million of sugar beets and 885,000 tonnes of cotton.

However, the main problems provoked by the wave of the drought which invaded the region is the limited water resources in the Middle East and the need to find a solution for this problem which has been spoken of for a decade, to the extent that it has been said that waters will be the reason behind future wars in the Middle East.

Turkey, however, will be the most fortunate among countries of the region in light of its planning to set up the project to develop southeastern Anadulia (al-Ghab) which stores about 90 billion cubic meters, while Syria will be the less fortunate because its 600 million cubic meters of waters are in the occupied Golan Heights, on the one hand and that because the main sources of waters -- the Tigris and the Euphrates -- spring from the Turkish territories, on the other hand. Added to all these the internal, already-neglected water basins in Syria are not interconnected, as a third reason for escalating the drought crisis. The fourth reason which makes of the drought crisis more controversial in the future lies in the fact that surface water resources in Syria provide 6.9 billion cubic meters of the total resources of 9.9 billion cubic meters which mostly depend on average rainfall.

The situation is that the country that is the most in need of water is confronted by the most rich in waters. Thereby the situation makes it necessary to maintain cooperation between Ankara and Damascus.

Syrian officials hope that the security agreement signed in October 1998 will lead to solving the water problem by means of "friendly and quiet dialogue." Iraq, Syria and Turkey share the banks of the Tigris (1,950 KM) and the Euphrates (2,800 KM). The three countries are linked to agreements provide for dividing these shared waters. The agreements state that Turkey is to permit over 500 cubic meters per second to Syria, which by its turn is obliged to permit 58% of these waters to Iraq.

But Damascus and Baghdad seek a final solution that could guarantee the future for fears that the Turkish dam projects would minimize the shares of both Syria and Iraq to 350,000 cubic meters per second, as the storage volume of the Turkish dams is estimated at 90 billion cubic meters, a figure which is three-fold more than the capacity of the Euphrates river.

Syria, on the other hand, had solved its water problem with Lebanon in the framework of the "coordination and cooperation treaty." The two states signed in 1994 an agreement on "fair and reasonable distribution for the waters of the Orentos." The agreement permitted Lebanon to invest some 80 million cubic meters of the river's annual capacity of 402 million cubic meters.

Moreover, the recent summit meeting held between Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and Jordan's King Abdullah Bin Hussein on April 21 and 22 in Damascus had given a new impetus towards the establishment of al-Wahda dam on al-Yarmouk river, after the two countries had a positive signals for an Arab Gulf financing for the dam at a cost of US $300 million. In 1987, Israel prevented World Bank financing for the dam.

The total flow of al-Yarmouk river is about 440 million cubic meters per year. Its flow at the site where the dam will be built is about 250 million cubic meters per year. An international report has estimated the expected water discrepancy in the Syrian basins in the year 2015 at 4491 million cubic meters in case of strong drought and 3475 million cubic meters in ordinary years, even following the completion of the under-construction dams.

The report noted that accelerated population growth in these basins led to the increase in water consumption from 138 liters per day into 159 liters. The report added that the damages in the old current potable water network result in a loss of 50% in Damascus and 13% in al-Raqqa, in the eastern part of the country and at a rate of 33% in the basins areas.

The United Nations report estimates the preliminary cost of the proposed projects for the five Syrian basins, according to prices of mid 1997, estimated at US $375 million.

Nevertheless, the urgent problem will be in Damascus. It is expected that the Damascenes will suffer next summer due to high temperatures and the reduction in water resources, especially "al-Fijeh" spring which is considered the main source for the water of Damascus. This spring was not at its best. Its flow decreased to nine cubic meters per second, while its average flow used to be at this time of the year at 17 cubic meters. The flow of al-Fijeh spring water decreased from 1.2 million cubic meters several years ago to 700,000 cubic meters several months ago. It is now estimated at 400,000 cubic meters, and Syrian official sources estimate the daily need of the people of Damascus of water at 70,000 cubic meters.

Rainfall has not exceeded 119 mm until the beginning of April, against 343 mm of rainfall in the same period of 1998. Despite the fact that the Syrian "General Establishment for Potable Water" will operate ground wells to ensure 160,000 cubic meters daily, citizens have no way but to be economic in their use of water in the city of Damascus. Such a limited consumption policy by the Damascenes will help partially in the crisis which will be more difficult in the year 2000 when discrepancy will be 25% and in 2020 when discrepancy will reach 80%, unless decisive and long-term strong preventive measures are taken.

Previous Stories:
  Turkey and the waters of the Euphrates   (2/28/2000)
  Turkey and waters to Syria and Iraq   (2/23/2000)
  Iraq asks for water from Turkey   (10/26/1999)
  Syria, Jordan to start construction of al-Wahda dam   (5/4/1999)
  Al-Sharaa discusses Syrian, regional issues in an exclusive interview with al-Wasat   (4/27/1999)
  Report: Syria, Iraq agree to organize Euphrates' waters   (4/13/1999)
  Vegetable production in Syria   (4/10/1999)
  Damascus calls on Turkish authorities to discuss water   (3/19/1999)

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