Syrians living on the banks of the Orontes River attest that this year is the driest they can remember. This river, of historical importance and which flows from Lebanon through Syria towards Turkey, has dried up, leaving enormous environmental, human, and economic damage.
This drought directly threatens the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and small businesses, in addition to undermining the domestic tourism sector, which depended on the river as a natural attraction.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen the Orontes (Al Asi in Arabic, literally the “disobedient” river) like this. Maybe a long time ago, I don’t know… But I hear people saying that it’s the first time they’ve seen this,” says Feras Masri, owner of a restaurant on the riverbank, to EFE.
In the city of Hama, where the majestic river crossed the heart of the city, Masri, 37 years old, suffers the consequences of the drought, as he established his business there “for the fresh air, the green trees and the beautiful landscape”.
“Since the river dried up, the number of customers has dropped quite a bit, and there are bad smells,” he explained.
Losing it all
Along the Orontes River, from Hama to the Turkish border, farmers live in the same misery.
Ali Hasan Jatab, a displaced farmer, told EFE that he has lost “everything” this season.
“I have cultivated almost 12 ‘donam’ and a half (about 12,000 square meters) with corn on the riverbank. I have depended on the river water for irrigation. Today the corn dried up, as did all the other crops, all of them. This didn’t just happen to me, but to all the farmers along the Orontes River,” he said.
Between disappointment and the need for help, Jatab asks God “to help the peasants”, since everything used in the season, whether seeds or fertilizers, is paid “with debt and the harvest is awaited to pay it”.
“I am 53 years old, I had never seen the river so dry (…). We know that the State came out of a war, but we ask that they send us water and compensate the farmers with the price of the seeds at least,” he clarified.
Accumulated Problems
The head of the General Authority for Water Resources in Syria, Ahmed Kuan, told EFE that the drought is due to several reasons, which have been accumulating, such as the decrease in rainfall by 30% of the annual average in numerous areas, as well as the effects of climate change worldwide and other “extreme weather phenomena”.
The drought reduced the water stored in the main dams such as Qatina, Al Rastan and Mahrada and also caused the retreat of groundwater in several areas, which has led to a deterioration of the ecosystem.
“That reflects negatively on the harvests, livestock production, as well as the social and economic impact and disputes over water sources,” he summarized.
Kuan indicated that the Syrian government is carrying out an emergency water plan that includes the transition to new irrigation techniques (such as drip or underground irrigation), promoting the cultivation of products that do not absorb much water, rehabilitating dams that are not in operation such as the Afamia, Qastun and Zeizun dams, and collecting rainwater and reusing it.
Likewise, the aim is to transfer water from basins with greater abundance to those with greater scarcity, suspend the excavation of wells, especially in areas with water scarcity, as well as increase collaboration with international organizations.
They also seek to raise awareness about water management.
According to official statistics, some 150,000 Syrian farmers are affected by the drought of the Orontes in three provinces: Homs, Hama and Idlib, where some 120,000 hectares depend on direct irrigation from the river or from wells linked to its course.
Today, these fertile lands are arid fields and it is expected, according to the Water Resources Authority, that the drought will continue next year.
