Drought spurs Syria-Jordan water committee reactivation
Shafaq News – Damascus
Seven years of climate change have sharply reduced Syria’s surface water and spring resources as rainfall and snowfall continue to decline, a senior Syrian official revealed on Tuesday.
Deputy Minister of Energy for Water Resources Osama Abu Zaid told Shafaq News that output from several springs in Daraa province has dropped by up to 100 percent, with Muzayrib Lake now completely dry and the Tal Shihab waterfalls no longer flowing.
He added that major sources supplying Damascus, including the Al-Ashaari springs, Ain Al-Fijeh, and the Barada River, have seen discharge fall from 30 to just 1.5 cubic meters per second.
The shortfall has forced authorities to rely heavily on groundwater and expand well-drilling, though Abu Zaid warned, “Weak planning and unregulated extraction have rapidly drained aquifers, rendering some wells unusable.”
To manage cross-border water challenges, he said, Syria has reactivated its joint technical committee with Jordan to assess the Yarmouk River basin, conducting annual reviews and allocating water shares based on international standards.
