Syria faces extreme drought caused by climate change
Syria faces an unprecedented drought caused by climate change (illustrative image).
AFP - DELIL SOULEIMAN
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
A major water reservoir in northwestern Syria has completely emptied, for the first time, due to poor rains, structural damage and excessive agricultural abstractions amid extreme drought affecting the whole of the country. country.
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With climate change increasing the frequency of droughts and forest fires around the world, Syria is experiencing one of its driest and warmest years on record after historically low rainfall last winter.
The whole country is affected by this drought problem.
“
There was a lot less rain this year, there were also very long heat waves, it's unheard of, it lasted a lot longer than usual, and it's really due to the change climate,
”explained to RFI, Jolien Veldwijk, director in Syria of the NGO Care.
The "
very low
" level of the Euphrates
“
There is a very low level of Euphrates, which is 70% below its normal level. This of course has an impact on access to water. But we're not just talking about drinking water. It affects food and all livelihoods as people lose their crops. And we expect the winter crops that are starting now to be lost too because there hasn't been enough rain. And that creates a very precarious situation in Syria,
”she lamented.
A vital source of irrigation for thousands of farmers in Idlib province, the al-Douwaysat reservoir has completely dried up for the first time in its 27-year existence.
The bottom of the man-made lake, exposed by drought and excessive pumping, has become a grim expanse littered with beached boats, animal skulls and dead trees.
A few puddles of green water remain on the sides, near which small flocks of sheep graze new grass.
“
Dry
”
dam
According to the World Bank, the reservoir has a capacity of 3.6 million cubic meters and is mainly used for irrigation and water supply. “
This is the first time that the dam has run dry since it was built in 1994,
” said site engineer Maher al-Hussein. “
Due to the drought and the poor rains, we can now walk in the reservoir,
” which was filled to the brim two years ago, he added. The poor rains last winter only half filled the reservoir, and all the water was used by farmers trying to save their crops, the engineer explained.
The main pipe that carries water from the reservoir to the irrigation networks was also damaged, causing major leaks.
The engineer explained that the reservoir is used to irrigate nearly 150 hectares of farmland and benefits around 800 families in the area.
(a
vec
AFP
)
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