Environment in Northeast Syria: Between serious threats, rescue efforts

The Northeast Syria region faces significant environmental challenges due to climate change, prolonged wars, and reckless use of natural resources, in addition to weak environmental infrastructure.

This year, Syria has experienced a severe drought following years of conflict, placing the environment under direct threat that affects all living beings. Climate change has had negative repercussions on human life, while human activities have, in turn, contributed to accelerating this change through poorly planned actions that disrupt nature and its balance.

Cities and towns in Northeast Syria currently endure a harsh environmental reality, marked by frequent wildfires that consume forests and groves, alongside pollution from factories and random waste incinerators. Drought and water shortages are exacerbated by Turkey’s damming of rivers and reservoirs, as well as deforestation, overgrazing, and the use of primitive stoves for diesel refining.

The severe electricity crisis has further compounded the suffering of both residents and the environment. The reliance on randomly placed generators within neighborhoods and unregulated use of imported vehicles during the early years of the war have caused a significant increase in environmental pollution. This directly impacts human health, with doctors noting a rise in heart diseases, cancer, allergies, asthma, and sudden deaths linked to the chronic accumulation of pollutants in body tissues.

Adding to these environmental catastrophes is the widespread dumping of waste in nature reserves, rivers, and springs, causing direct and severe pollution. Meanwhile, continued deforestation and poor water management increase the ecosystem’s fragility and threaten its future.

In this context, Ibrahim al-Asaad, Co-Chair of the Environmental Authority of the Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria, explained that the Authority has recently implemented projects aimed at improving environmental conditions. These include afforestation campaigns in various cities and villages, organizing environmental awareness workshops in cooperation with schools and cultural centers, monitoring pollution levels in rivers and waterways, and developing waste management plans. The Authority has also prepared training programs on sustainable agriculture and soil preservation.

Al-Asaad confirmed that the Authority plans to develop natural reserves in the upcoming phase and implement modern environmental regulatory systems in cities and towns, in addition to launching renewable energy projects such as solar and wind power to reduce pollution.

He also pointed out that the Authority is preparing to issue strict laws to protect natural resources, including criminalizing attacks on vegetation and water bodies and regulating grazing within designated areas. Additionally, comprehensive cleaning campaigns will be launched in cooperation with local communities and organizations.

He concluded by emphasizing that environmental protection is a collective responsibility requiring everyone’s participation through maintaining cleanliness, planting trees, and expanding vegetation cover. He affirmed that the Authority will continue its efforts to increase green spaces within nature reserves to restore the environmental balance destroyed by war and reckless practices.

ANHA