Syria studies bringing water from coastal areas to Damascus
Syria-Turkey, Economics, 12/6/1999

Syrian sources reported that Damascus at present is studying bringing water from the coastal areas to Damascus and that Turkey has permitted the flow of the waters of the Euphrates towards Syria.

The "waters" teacher at Damascus University, Shebli al-Shami, told the press that the Syrian government is studying the possibility of bringing water from the coastal area at the city of Tartous to Damascus through Tel-Kalakh, the area nearest to sea level (400 meters above sea level), to Damascus through Homs.

Al-Shami added that an Egyptian delegation has recently visited Damascus to study "desalinization of the sea waters," and that cost of the desalinization of each cubic meter is estimated at 15 Syrian pounds, a cost which makes the process "economically possible," according to Egyptian experts.

He added that, "Turkey has permitted more waters of the Euphrates river for two months in an amount increasing 500 million cubic meters per second." Turkey is permitting greater water flow due to the "earthquake rift which starts in Istanbul towards north Iran passes in the hinterland of Anadolia where the Turkish dams are situated."

The Syrian water specialist added that, "The Syrian Ministry of Irrigation, by its turn, has asked for a specialized study to enforce dams in Syria against earthquakes."

He said, "Carrying out the study proposed during the 1970s to bring in 10 million cubic meters per second from the waters of the Euphrates to Damascus has more economic feasibility than desalinization of the sea waters." He continued that, "Bringing the waters of the Euphrates permits irrigation of the fertile lands in the central parts of the country, ensuring potable waters to Damascus and then using 'heavy waters,' after their purification, in agriculture."

He indicated that the "absence of waters until now indicates a three-year drought cycle that may continue until the seasonal rainfall of next year," which means that the "majority of the arable lands will suffer desertification this year, and as a result livestock will be affected due to the lack of natural pastures, while imported fodder will be increasingly in need."

He said, "Cattle breeders are obliged to sell their cattle at lower prices," which will make the price of meat higher in Syria in the long-run.

Syria suffers a recession, as a result of the lack of rainfall, in its underground waters in the majority of its seven water basins which feed the country. The absence of a final water agreement between Syria and Turkey concerning the water issue makes Damascus unable to draw a final water plan in the country.

Added to all these, some 500 million cubic meters of Syrian waters in the Golan are seized annually by Israel as a result of Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967.

Previous Stories:
  The 10th International Symposium on remote sensing, Syria has strong potentiality   (11/25/1999)
  Syrian- Turkish security committee to meet at month's end in Damascus   (11/12/1999)
  On the flow of water from Turkey to Syria   (10/13/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search