Workshop on Water Situation, Sanitation in Syria

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The Ministry of Water Resources recently held a workshop entitled “Achievements of Water and Sanitation Sector in 2013 and the Future Vision to Improve Water Services to the Citizens”. At the opening of its Sheraton Hotel in Damascus, the workshop focused on the impact of the crisis in Syria on the infrastructure, water and sanitation challenges, difficulties and strategic needs of this sector.

Participants in the workshop discussed the conditions of treatment plants, resources depletion, water chlorination and the challenges facing the Local Administration in the field of sanitation and environmental protection, mitigation of environmental risks and measures needed to protect them.

Participants discussed ways to monitor and control the quality of drinking water and the fight against water-borne diseases, the role of sewage system in Syria and solid waste management. They also discussed an action plan of the Ministry of Local Administration with the United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF” to repair and rehabilitate the drainage system at the level of communities and municipalities, rehabilitate and maintain water and sanitation health centers in temporary accommodation.

Deputy Minister of Water Resources for Technical Affairs, Osama Al-Akhras, reviewed the challenges facing the sector of water and sanitation because of the targeting of infrastructure facilities and the theft of their equipments in addition. The economic blockade, he added, hampered the process of securing the necessary equipment and materials especially disinfectants in addition to the impact of other sectors on water system, such as electricity and oil.

Mr. Al-Akhras pointed to the difficulties resulting from demographic change in many cities, the lack of rainfall in this season and the pollution of many surface and groundwater water resources. He indicated that the ministry signed a number of protocols with international organizations, in order to secure equipment and materials, including UNICEF and the World Health Organization, Oxfam and others adding that the Ministry  will also sign a memorandum of understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross during the coming period.

For his part, Head of Management Organizations and Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Milad Attiyeh, expressed his government’s readiness to continue cooperation with international organizations in accordance with the regulations and bases agreed upon with the United Nations regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance in times of crisis.

“The existing cooperation between the government and international organizations through signing a number of plans to respond to the humanitarian aid over the past three years contributed to the mitigation of the effects of the crisis experienced by the country,” Mr. Attiyeh added.

The Resident Representative of UNICEF in Syria, Yusuf Abdul Jalil, clarified that cooperation in the sector of water and sanitation and hygiene promotion provided more than 25 MW of electric power to the centers of pumping and distribution and offered more than 3600 tons of sodium hypochlorite for water treatment in all provinces. TheUNICEF, Ministry of Water Resources, International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent contributed to make this cooperation a success.

He pointed out that the water and sanitation sector is currently working to mitigate the spread of disease by ensuring the production and distribution of the supply of safe drinking water, with a focus on ensuring the protection of the environment, the preservation of groundwater and reducing the pollution of surface water.

Head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Abdul Rahman al –Attar pointed to the development of the potentials of the Red Crescent in Syria through the support and care provided by the government in cooperation with the international organizations, especially UNICEF. He noted the efforts of employees in the organization, their credibility and dedication in the performance of their duties in humanitarian terms.

The global coordinator of the water sector, Paul Shanahan explained the need to reach a framework plan of the water sector and sanitation in Syria and the removal of the challenges encountering this sector as it affects the life of citizens directly. He called for exerting efforts to reach important results to overcome the obstacles in the coming years and to identify priorities in this sector.

The Director of Planning at the Ministry of Water Resources eng. Joseph Greg said: “Syria is a country of limited water resources, classified within dry areas and needs 23 billion m3 to be the per capita equal tothe water poverty line amounted to 1000 m3 per capita per year for all purposes.”

”Covering the deficiency in water is completed by pumping large quantities of groundwater that exceed the imports of groundwater of the annual rainfallthat has led to a drop in groundwater levels and increased the costs of pumping and the low discharge of some of the springs, which provide 21 percent of the needs of drinking water. This situation reflected seriously on the costs of irrigated farming, which constitutes 38 percent of the wells’ resources,” Eng. Greg added. 

He also pointed to the difficulties and challenges lie in the limited water resources compared to the size of the growing demand of water, the rates of population growth, overuse and unsustainable groundwater resources, the low technical and economic efficiency of water use in all sectors of the drinking water systems and irrigation.

Regarding the reality of sanitation in Syria and the challenges facing this sector, the Director of Sanitation at the Ministry of Water Eng. Mohammad Jaradat said that current circumstances have prevented the implementation of 97 treatment plants.

The Director General of Water Drinking and Sanitation Department in Aleppo Eng. Mustafa Malhees underlined that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in Aleppo provided necessary expenses to this vital sector including repairing pumps, generating sets and electrical panels. The ICRC and SARC also ensured spare parts of electric cables to the Centers of pumping in the city and the countryside, as the UNICEF organization offered a group of aid including generating sets, different sterilization items in addition to funding some maintenance works for engines and generating sets.

Sharif el –Khatib