Amid the challenges facing Syria, water security has emerged as one of the country’s most critical structural crises, threatening its environmental, social, and economic stability. According to United Nations estimates and climate research institutions, Syria is considered among the countries most vulnerable to drought in the Mediterranean region. There are persistent warnings that climate change will continue to place severe pressure on Syria’s water resources in the coming decades.
In this context, Paradigm MENA is releasing an analytical report titled “From Abundance to Deficit: A Historical and Strategic Review of Syria’s Water Security (1970–2024),” which examines the roots of this crisis and its evolution over the past five decades.
The report underscores the growing impact of climate change, which has intensified drought episodes, reduced precipitation levels, and raised average temperatures across the Eastern Mediterranean. It also analyzes the consequences of unsustainable governmental policies in the agricultural sector—particularly the unregulated expansion of water-intensive crops—which have led to the over-extraction of groundwater. This has been exacerbated by weak oversight of well drilling and water usage.
Furthermore, the report explores the geopolitical dimensions of the crisis, reviewing regional disputes over transboundary rivers shared with neighboring countries—such as the Euphrates, Orontes, and Yarmouk. It illustrates how diverging national interests and water management policies have further intensified pressure on Syria’s water security.
