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Sowing the Seeds
 Going 'green' often remains low on the list of priorities when it comes to development in Syria. With more than 67 percent of the country's population now living in major cities, people begin to lose there connection to – and interest in – the land and other, more visible, issues take precedence.
But make no mistake – preserving and improving our environment is an immediate necessity. According to Syria's National Environmental Action Plan, issued in 2003, almost 20 percent of Syria's total land area is unusable, and only one third is suitable for agriculture. Syria is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change, according to the report. The Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform classifies 60 percent of the land area in the country as exposed to wind erosion and 80 percent as susceptible to water erosion. It attributes this to a range of factors, particularly the expansion of cities, farms, over-logging and over-grazing of herds.
Then there's the energy challenge. Demand for electricity has increased nationwide by 75 percent over the past decade and the government predicts it will triple in 20 years. With our oil reserves on the wane, covering this growing demand will require creativity and innovation.
All of these issues provide Syria with a chance to shift towards greater protection of our unique natural environment and improving the efficiency of our industries. There are causes for celebration and recognition. Hydroelectric power stations on the Euphrates River contributed 4.4 percent of the country's electricity generation last year, according to government figures. Wind turbines are set to dot our landscape, with plans in place for at least three wind farms, which will generate a total 250 MW of electricity. A solar-energy plant for another 1,000 MW is set to be built by a German firm near Homs. When it comes to agriculture, the growing appeal of organic farming is no more obvious than with this statistic: Just five years ago, only 373 hectares of land where used for organic cotton. That figure has increased to about 28,000 hectares today.
Such shifts will help mitigate the harmful effects of urbanisation and industry and boost the nascent wildlife preservation efforts currently underway in Syria. With the UN designating 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity, we have an opportunity to celebrate the unique landscape of our country, from the green, coastal mountainous in the north-west to the stunningly stark badia desert landscape and the hardy ecosystem living within it. Syria is part of the famed Fertile Crescent, the cradle of civilisation from which human civilisation grew. We have reason to be proud of this natural heritage and, as such, a duty to protect it.
Abdul Ghani Attar
Managing Partner
Syria Today |
