Governance of Water Scarcity in the Syrian Jazeera, from Mismanagement to Political Settlements: Case Study of Ras Al Ayn (1950–2020)

Abstract

The water policies implemented by governmental institutions and the private sector in Syria’s Jazeera region have caused ground water depletion, the drying up of many springs and rivers, and water contamination. The Ras Al Ayn springs, for example, dried up after the water flow rate reached 45 m³/second. Due to the use of water as a military tool in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious environment, water security has steadily worsened since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. This issue has not only exacerbated the crisis in accessing water but has also led to the collapse of the fragile inter-social relationships to strengthen interconnection and coexistence among the population that had developed over decades. Finding solutions to meet the population’s water needs is essential to achieving stability and reducing internal and external migration. It is necessary to look at this issue beyond the engineering perspective and consider the social, economic, and political dimensions. Instead of using the issue of water access as a means of reaching a political and military settlement between the opposing national parties (political and military), the focus should be on using it as a tool to reduce social tensions between different groups and to foster social cohesion in local society, where the social contract has been frayed.