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Umwelt & Gesundheit · Syria

Umwelt & Gesundheit in Syria

Luftqualität, Grünflächen und Nachhaltigkeitspolitik

Syria faces severe environmental challenges stemming from prolonged conflict, climate change, and water scarcity. The country has experienced cumulative water losses of 2.2 billion cubic meters through 2022, devastating agricultural production and displacing rural populations. Recent catastrophic wildfires in 2025 destroyed over 14,000 hectares of forests, while ongoing drought threatens food security with wheat production down over 50% from pre-war levels.

Luftqualitätsindex

0510

Schlecht

3.5/10

Verschlechternd trend

Air pollution increased significantly during Syria's civil conflict despite energy sector collapse. Oil fires have contaminated agricultural and grazing lands, creating severe air quality degradation. Current monitoring capacity is severely limited due to infrastructure damage and lack of state capacity for environmental enforcement.

Wasserqualität

0510

Sehr schlecht

2.5/10

Syria's water resources are in critical condition. Two-thirds of water facilities suffered extensive damage during the civil war, compounded by climate-driven drought and upstream water retention by Turkey and Iraq. The Euphrates River flows have declined to approximately half of historic levels. Cumulative water loss through 2022 totaled 2.2 billion cubic meters, equivalent to covering 7,000 square kilometers in one foot of water. Water shortages have triggered disease outbreaks including cholera.

Severely compromised due to infrastructure damage, water scarcity, and contamination. Access to clean water is critically limited, particularly in rural areas.

Recyclingsystem

No functional recycling infrastructure exists in Syria. State capacity for waste management has collapsed due to conflict and economic crisis. Environmental management is deprioritized in favor of immediate humanitarian concerns.

Grünflächen

Syria's forest cover has been devastated by conflict, drought, and catastrophic wildfires. In June-July 2025, environmental fires swept coastal areas, destroying over 14,000 hectares of forests and agricultural land—more than 4% of the country's total forest cover. The fires threatened the Farnlaq Reserve, Syria's last remaining dense coastal forest. Thirty-four major environmental sites were damaged across Latakia and Tartous governorates.

Waldbedeckung: 2.5%

The Farnlaq Reserve represents the last remaining dense coastal forest in Syria and was directly threatened by the July 2025 fires. Protected area management capacity is severely compromised.

Umweltpolitik

Syria's environmental governance is severely weakened by conflict and state capacity limitations. The government faces critical challenges in addressing climate and ecological threats while prioritizing immediate humanitarian crises. International environmental obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Paris Climate Agreement remain largely unimplemented due to institutional collapse.

Wichtige Maßnahmen:

•UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (signatory)
•Paris Climate Agreement (signatory)

Erneuerbare Energien: No active renewable energy targets or programs documented. Energy infrastructure has been severely damaged during conflict.

Naturkatastrophenrisiko

HIGH

Syria faces multiple interconnected natural disaster risks amplified by climate change and conflict-related infrastructure damage. Catastrophic wildfires swept coastal areas in June-July 2025, destroying 14,000+ hectares. Intense winter storms trigger flash floods in river valleys and wadis, inundating crops and contaminating water sources. Prolonged drought and declining precipitation have created severe agricultural vulnerability.

WildfiresFlash floodsDroughtsWinter storms

Auswirkungen des Klimawandels: Syria is experiencing severe climate change impacts characterized by prolonged drought, declining precipitation, and falling river and reservoir levels. The Euphrates River flows have declined to approximately 50% of historic levels due to combined effects of climate change and upstream water management. Rainfall patterns show sharp volatility—the 2024-2025 agricultural season recorded exceptionally low cumulative rainfall of 94.9 millimeters in the first quarter of 2025, with brief recovery in February followed by sharp decline in March. Vegetation Health Index data shows severe drought conditions bottoming out mid-March 2025. These climate trends have reduced soil moisture, undermined irrigation capacity, and forced reliance on failing shallow wells. Wheat production has fallen over 50% compared to pre-war norms of 4 million metric tons, with 2025 projections indicating output will likely fall below half of typical pre-war levels. Climate-driven water scarcity, combined with conflict-related infrastructure damage, has created cascading humanitarian crises including displacement of agricultural communities to urban centers and disease outbreaks.

Nachhaltigkeitsinitiativen

Water Resource Management

Transboundary water governance with Turkey and Iraq is critical for Syria's agricultural resilience, particularly regarding Euphrates River management. However, upstream water retention by Turkey and Iraq has significantly reduced flows. Current initiatives are severely limited by conflict-related infrastructure damage and lack of state capacity. Two-thirds of water facilities require reconstruction.

Agricultural Adaptation

Syria's agricultural sector faces critical challenges with 74% of cultivated land (2.78 million hectares) dependent on rainfall and only 26% under irrigation. Farmers are adapting to damaged irrigation systems and reduced river flows by shifting to rainfed agriculture. Production costs have surged with fertilizer prices tripling and fuel subsidy cuts, forcing farmers to reduce planted areas and contributing to further yield reductions.

Forest and Coastal Protection

The Farnlaq Reserve represents Syria's last remaining dense coastal forest. Protection efforts are severely compromised by catastrophic wildfires (July 2025) that destroyed 14,000+ hectares across 34 major environmental sites in Latakia and Tartous governorates. Over 5,000 people were directly affected with hundreds displaced. International intervention for environmental protection remains inadequate.

Wildtiere & Natur

Syrian Brown BearVom Aussterben bedroht

Arabian OryxVerletzlich

Mediterranean Monk SealGefährdet

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