Syria Today | Q&A: Nader al-Bunni

Q&A: Nader al-Bunni
Syrian Minister of Irrigation

By Francesca de Châtel
Photo Adel Samara

Syria has experienced several consecutive years of low rainfall and, in certain regions, serious drought. In light of this, how would you assess the state of the country’s water resources?

Before I answer, let me correct the term ‘serious drought’. It is true that rainfall levels have been below average in the past three years. But I would not call it a serious drought as not all governorates were affected.

Syria is made up of five so-called ‘stability zones’. The first and second zones were not affected by the drought: rainfall levels did not decrease and agricultural production was not affected. The third and fourth zones were affected to varying degrees, with rainfall dropping by 40 to 80 percent. The fifth zone is the badia, where agriculture is forbidden. It is rainfed steppe land which is used as rangeland for livestock. It may have been affected.

In view of this, we can’t generalise and say that the country experienced a serious drought. We would be too harsh on ourselves if we said that.

While we may have had less rain, we must not forget that we have an excellent water resources management system. This is critical. It was developed over the past 40 years and guarantees our irrigation water.

In terms of quantity, Syria’s total actual renewable water resources in 2008-2009 amounted to 17bn m3, while consumption was 19.4bn m3. The 2.4bn m3 deficit was made up by groundwater and reserves in dam reservoirs.

In terms of water quality, we are working with the Ministry of Housing on a very ambitious sewage treatment plan involving the construction of government-funded treatment plants throughout the country.

Treated wastewater forms an additional source of water for the Ministry of Irrigation and the agricultural sector. This means that freshwater that was formerly used for irrigation in places such as the Damascus Countryside will now be allocated to the drinking water sector.

Syria receives most of its water resources from beyond its borders. What challenges does this pose to the management of the resource?

At present, there are no challenges in this domain because of the excellent relationship between Syria and Turkey. We are planning to jointly develop the water resources we share with Turkey. This will partly be done through the Syrian-Turkish Strategic Cooperation Council.

During a recent meeting in Ankara, you met with your Turkish and Iraqi counterparts to discuss the sharing of water from the Euphrates. How do you feel the three countries can come to a just and equitable agreement that will provide all parties with a reasonable share, particularly during periods of drought?

To reach an agreement, we need ‘fair’ not ‘just’ division. Because justice comes from God and fairness is human, you should speak about a ‘fair and reasonable’ sharing of resources between the three countries.

Currently, there are disagreements. Each of the parties has its own point of view regarding the sharing of these resources. But as we continue our dialogue, these points of view are drawing nearer to each other. I said in Ankara that we understand that Turkey was not able to send the agreed amount of water this year due to the exceptional climatic circumstances. We also acknowledge the extent to which Iraq has been affected by drought and this is why we decided to release additional amounts of water from our reserves, beyond the amount that is agreed upon.

There were tensions recently over the water that Syria shares with Jordan. Do you see that as a dispute that could escalate in the future?

There are no problems with Jordan; the newspapers are the ones that create problems. We have different points of view on certain issues, and this goes for the water we share with all of our neighbours, but this is normal and does not lead to tensions. We meet regularly with our counterparts from Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey and have an open dialogue with them. The exception is Israel. This issue is a red line. We demand the return of the land and water which they are occupying in the Golan Heights.

To what extent do you think the current drought is caused by climate change? What measures can the government take to limit the impact of such extended periods of drought, both for local communities and the agricultural sector?

Let’s leave it to the scientists to determine whether it is climate change or a climatic cycle. Currently it is not clear. The current patterns of rainfall do not suggest that it is climate change.
However, if it is shown to be climate change, then we have a number of procedures to follow. In case of emergency, securing drinking water sources will be a first priority. The second priority will be agriculture.

What is the government doing to improve the management of the country’s water resources?

The government analysed the situation of water resources in the country following a study carried out by the High Commission for Water.

It underscored the importance of modernising irrigation systems. The government will establish a fund for agricultural loans with advantageous rates and repayment schemes. We have also decided that there should be a law regulating the relationship between the consumer and the Ministry of Irrigation as part of which illegal extraction of groundwater will be punished. The report also recommends the establishment of a system of shared irrigation through water user associations. This will reduce overall water consumption. Farmers who are members of such associations will be able to obtain government loans from a specially established fund.

The government has invested considerably in this. If these laws are applied within 10 years, we will have made a step in the right direction.

In parallel to this, irrigation networks will be modernised and upgraded in order to reduce waste. We have funding for all of these projects. Now we just need time to implement them.

Around the world, tens of thousands of litres of water are wasted each day due to inefficient practices, leaking pipes and mismanagement of resources. What measures are being taken to limit water wastage at a domestic, industrial and agricultural level in Syria?

There are two sides to this issue. On the one hand, the government must reduce the amount of water lost through leakages in the water networks. The Ministry of Housing and Construction is addressing this issue. On the other hand, the consumer must become more aware and learn to waste less water. We have programmes to raise awareness in schools and in the farming communities. Mothers also play an important role in this regard.

Is Syria considering the use of alternative sources such as desalination?

Personally, I don’t think desalination is currently an option. We must first fully exploit our existing resources such as the water from the Euphrates and the fresh water sources springing up in the sea along the Syrian coast. The latter amounts to about 400m m3 of fresh water that is currently wasted.

Syria’s population is estimated to reach 35 million in the year 2050. Regardless of whether the current trend of lower rainfall persists, there will be less water available per person. How is the government planning to address this?

Regardless of whether there is drought or not, Syria has limited water resources. We also face other challenges such as wastewater, population growth and the need to rationalise and modernise the irrigation networks. In terms of drinking water, we have adjusted requirements per person. Previously, we counted between 200 and 300 litres per person per day (pp/pd). In future, with modernised networks, we think there will be between 100 and 150 litres pp/pd.

In 2035 people will also be more aware of the need to save water. And networks will be modernised in order to waste less water – some networks currently waste up to 50 percent.

With regards to agriculture, we assume that the governmental plan to modernise irrigation will have been successfully implemented. If we modernise our irrigation methods, we would save 40 percent, which would be a great help in 2035. We also have a plan to increase the productivity of each cubic metre of water. A committee, consisting of the minister of agriculture and the minister of irrigation, has been charged with organising a conference to discuss how this can be achieved.

With these measures, I believe we have made a good start. It took time and energy to get the projects moving, but I am confident we will reach 2035 in good shape. If you ask me about 2050, however, I would say that we should leave some work to our children.