Syria Suffers Water Shortage – More News on Middle Eastern Drought

Yesterday Daniel wrote a sobering report on the increasingly serious drought conditions throughout the entire region.  Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon and Iraq have all reported water shortages that are sure to affect both the environment and international security.

Sadly, Syria can also join this unfortunately long list.

Syria has been suffering from a drought for the past five years.   Like other Middle Eastern countries, Syria’s demand for water in the industrial and agricultural sectors, which comprise 90 percent of its entire water consumption, has increased over the past few years.  The severe lack of rain this winter exacerbates the problem.

Damascus already felt the impacts of the drought this summer, when the taps ran dry in many neighborhoods and residents of the capital city were forced to buy water on the black market.

Mufak Khalouf, the head of the Damascus Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, recently spoke at a special conference in Damascus, and warned that the city might remain without water. “If we don’t do something fast, we’ll be facing a catastrophe we have not witnessed for the past 50 years,” he said.

Although the Syrian officials have taken steps like developing additional wells and replacing pipes to prevent leakage and waste, Khalouf indicated disaster may be imminent if the country does not adopt stronger measures.

A study by Japan’s International Cooperation Agency concluded that Syria will have to spend billions of dollars to prevent a severe water crisis in Damascus. The Japanese government already funded a $50 million project to help replace 100 kilometers of piping in the city in 2004.  They also stated they intend to continue investing in Syrian water projects, which many include a $2 billion water transportation project from the Euphrates River to Damascus.

:: Ynetnews

Image Credit: wester

For more on the severe drought affecting the Middle East:

Drought Affecting Security, Natural Systems Across Middle East
Drought in Jordan Calls People to Pray for Rain and the Controversial Dead-Red Peace Canal

Will Climate Change Reduce Or Increase Middle East Rainfall?

Author: Rachel Bergstein

When her vegan summer camp counselor explained to a fifteen-year-old Rachel how the dairy industry pollutes the groundwater in poor rural communities and causes global warming, there was no turning back. Her green fire lit, Rachel became increasingly passionate about the relationship between human societies and the natural environment, particularly about the systemic injustices associated with environmental degradation. After snagging a B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies at the University of Maryland, where she wrote an undergraduate thesis on water injustice in Israel/Palestine and South Africa, Rachel was awarded the New Israel Fund/Shatil’s Rabbi Richard J. Israel Social Justice Fellowship to come and spread the green gospel in Israel for the 2009-2010 academic year. She currently interns for Friends of the Earth Middle East in their Tel Aviv office. When Rachel is not having anxiety about her ecological footprint, carbon and otherwise, she can be found in hot pursuit of the best vegetarian food Tel Aviv has to offer. She also blogs about her experience as an NIF fellow and environmentalist in Israel at organichummus.wordpress.com. Rachel can be reached at rachelbergstein (at) gmail (dot) com.

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