SYRIA

1

• SYRIA
• General Facts
• Area 185,000 Km2, Population18 Million
• Water management has focused in the last 4
  decades on water supply, (160) dams were built,
  large irrigation projects to supply cities and
  villages with water to encourage agricultural and
  industrial expansion.
• agriculture is the largest consumer of water
  (about 85) and the economy of the country
  depends directly on it (30GDP).

2

• Syria depends on surface and ground water for
  agricultural sector.
• Depends mainly on ground water (springs and
  wells) for domestic supply.

3

• In the last 10 years, Intensive agricultural
  practices depending on ground water spread
  quickly in most areas due to the delay in
  surface water supply projects and lack of new
  supplies.
• This threatened the water-table and lowered
  dramatically springs discharge.

4

• Due to high population and economy growth ,
  competition among agriculture , industry and
  cities for limited water supplies is already
  constraining development efforts in many parts of
  the country like Damascus , Homs and Hama, and
  this will intensify, causing difficulties in
  specific regions.

5

• Syria will almost utilize all national water
  resources and had already utilized all water in
  most water basins .
• The international shared water courses (almost
  70 of total resources) especially from Euphrates
  and Tigris Rivers will be the only option for
  continuous development and economic growth to
  meet the expected needs of high growing
  population and agricultural industrial
  development .

6

• It becomes very urgent to conclude an agreement
  to divide the shared international water between
  countries concerned .
• From other point of view it becomes very
  important to stop the unwise usage by applying
  new technologies and take the executive measures
  to prevent water from pollution.

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• The current policy which lacks to instruments to
  prevent excessive quantities of water from being
  lost, expanding water contamination and
  inadequate demand management measures has led to
  critical issues in the water sector including
  supply-demand imbalance, quality degradation and
  competition between users.

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Current government policy and Measures

• Supply Increase.
• Demand decrease.
• Pollution Control.

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Supply Increase

• Continuing dam construction in different water
  basins.
• Continuing irrigation and drainage networks
  expansion.
• Continuing efforts to reach agreement on
  international water resources.
• Non-conventional water resources (drainage water
  reuse, domestic and industrial water reuse,
  Artificial discharge and cloud seeding).
• Studies and search for new resources.

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• Waste water treatment plants in Syria
• Ready in (Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo. Latakia,
  Salameah )
• Planned in (Tartous, Idlep, Dara'a, Swida, Ras
  Al-In )

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Demand decrease

1. Application of water-saving technologies
   especially in Irrigation.
2. Domestic water networks maintenance to reduce
   losses.
3. Open Irrigation canals lining and changing into
   pipes.
4. New water legislation .
5. New tariffs, metering and illicit connection
   control.
6. Education, awareness and training.

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Pollution Control

1. Restricted areas in watershed especially for
   drinking water resources.
2. Strict legislation to stop water pollution (new
   Environmental law).
3. Waste water treatment.
4. Education and awareness.

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Policy Gaps

• .Inadequate studies and information.
• .Inadequate tariffs and improper pricing and
  subsidy.
• .Inadequate water saving measures (metering,
  legislation, pricing, illicit connection control)

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Policy Gaps

• .Inadequate fiscal regulation and enforcement.
• .Fund shortage.
• .Shortage in incentives and rules.
• .Absence of clear population planning.
• .Fragmented management

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Consequences

• Shortages in supply in poor areas.
• Late water projects.
• Coordination missing between providers and users.
• Water Miss-use.
• Supply-demand imbalance.
• Limited water saving technology application.

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Consequences

• Depletion of ground water in some areas.
• Arising problems on ground water quality and
  quantity

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SYR/98/008 - Planning for Integrated Water
Resources Management
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Basic Facts about the Project

• Budget US 1,210,000 (Total)
• UNDP Input US 782,220
• Cost-sharing by Syrian Govt US 366,590
• Executing Agency Ministry of Irrigation (MoI)
• Implementing Agency MoI in Damascus GDI in
  Hamma/Homs
• Cooperating Agency UNDESA
• Project Sites Damascus, Orontes Basin (Hamma,
  Homs)
• Duration 3 years

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Country Cooperation Framework (CCF) 1997-2000

• Rapid decline in non-renewable resources has
  highlighted the need for well-focused macro-level
  interventions aimed at long-term management of
  water resources
• Government of Syria and UNDP decided to include
  an intervention in the water sector as part of
  the current CCF

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General Background Information

• High Population growth
• Semi-arid climate
• Erratic and wide range of rainfall patterns
• (lt200 mm - gt 600mm)
• Irrigated land increased from 540,000 in 1979 to
  1,300, 000 ha in 2002.

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Background Information related to the Water
Sector

• Scarce water resources
• Per capita water availability 1,065 m3/yr
• Demand for water in 2015 24.2 BCM/yr
• Environmental degradation
• Lack of explicitly defined water policy.
• Lack of inter-sectoral coordination.
• Lack of adequate and updated data on water
  resources

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Major Water Sector Challenges

• Resource Conservation Challenge
• Environmental Challenge
• Social Challenge
• Economic challenge
• Regional cooperation challenge

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Problems to be Addressed

• Water resources scarcity
• Environmental Degradation
• Water Policy framework
• Long term planning
• Sector Coordination
• Supply and demand assessments
• Water resources information system

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Brief Description

• The project aims at strengthening national
  capacities in integrated water resources
  management. This will be achieved through the
  implementation of a programme that would help in
  achieving the objectives of sustainable water
  resources use and environmental protection.

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Four inter-linked components

• Pilot case studies for efficient local water
  management
• Integrated basin water management
• Strategic planning and institutional coordination
• Human resources development

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Target Beneficiaries

• Immediate/Direct MoI, GDI, SPC, other
  concerned Government staff)
• Medium term/Indirect
• - Urban population connected with public
  water supply network
• - Farming communities (demand management
  measures)
• - Population groups involved in tourist
  activities

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Development Objective

• To establish a vital basis for sustainable human
  development through a rational, efficient and
  equitable development and management of the
  countrys limited water resources by adopting a
  process of national capacity building geared
  towards integrated river basin management and
  planning

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Immediate Objective 1

• To strengthen local level institutional and
  technical capabilities in concrete water
  management interventions through the
  implementation of 3 pilot case studies
• localized irrigation management (farmers
  participation).
• Urban water supply management
• Controlling industrial pollution

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Immediate Objective 2

• To strengthen basin level technical and
  institutional capabilities in IWRM interventions
  through the
• 1. creation of an enabling institutional
  environment
• 2. preparation of basin monitoring system and
  a management plan for the Orontes Basin

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Immediate objective 3

• To strengthen national level institutional and
  technical capabilities to secure a basis for IWRM
  at all levels through the
• 1. creation of an enabling institutional
  environment
• 2. Proposal of a draft national water
  management policy (to be reviewed by WSCC)

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Immediate Objective 4

• To strengthen technical capacities of staff of
  MOI, GDI, and other institutions participating in
  the implementation of the project through
• a wide range of training modules in different
  aspects related to water resources planning and
  management

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Other projects

• Water resources information center (JICA).
• Water demand management in Agriculture (UNDP).
• Application of treated waste water in agriculture
  (FAO).
• Establishment of water users communities.
• Transferring flood irrigation into modern systems.

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Future Trends

• A Unit for strategic planning to be established
  by the end of 2002. Including department for
  water demand management.
• The ministry structure is under reform
• Two options
• 1- To stay as service ministry.
• 2- To become an economic ministry.