Years of the civil war in Syria resulted in the destruction of large parts of water infrastructure, contamination of key water sources, and the breakdown of water governance. Climate change, with its rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, has further degraded water quality, quantity, and accessibility. This has had severe impact on public health and livelihoods of Syrian people, agricultural decline, and ecosystem degradation, which must be urgently addressed. There are ongoing concerns, as attacks on dams providing hydroelectricity by Türkiye continue and recent incursions by Israel threaten water supplies of farmers, while the country is facing a serious drought due to little to no rainfall in the winter of 2024-2025.
With the fall of the Assad regime, a critical window of opportunity has emerged to restore Syria’s water systems and establish sustainable management of water resources. This is essential for public health, food security, and Syria’s economic recovery and development, as well as for enabling the return of displaced populations and fostering long-term stability. Discussions among donors and international institutions about Syria’s recovery are now taking shape and should include these concerns.
Together with our partner, Syrians for Truth and Justice, PAX developed seven policy recommendations for priority action on addressing Syria’s water security challenges:
- Protect water resources from militarization and hostilities.
- Include water and sanitation infrastructure in recovery efforts.
- Improve water governance at all levels.
- Promote sustainable water use as part of Syria’s climate adaptation.
- Clean-up water resources from toxic remnants of war.
- Ensure equitable access to clean water for all communities.
- Strengthen cross-border and regional cooperation on water management.
Read more in our joint policy brief Seven Priorities for Addressing Syria’s Water Security Challenges in Early Recovery.