Water lifeline restored: Syria rehabilitates al-Rastan dam

Shafaq News – Damascus

Syria has restored the al-Rastan dam on the Orontes River in Hama province, completing electrical repairs and upgrade work, the local water authority revealed on Friday.

Built in the 1950s, the al-Rastan dam holds more than 200M cubic meters of water and remains one of Syria’s most strategic, regulating river flow and supplying irrigation and drinking water across wide areas.

Riad al-Obeid, head of Hama’s Water Resources Department, told Shafaq News the project will expand farmland, improve irrigation, and secure drinking water for thousands of families, strengthening food security and supporting local development.

Also speaking to our agency, sources in Syria’s Energy Ministry said further rehabilitation is planned for dams in Hama and Homs as part of a broader water management strategy aimed at “balancing agricultural and residential needs while preserving the environment.”