The General Authority for Water Resources in Syria is working on a comprehensive initiative to modernize the legislative and institutional framework for water resources in the country. The new draft legislation aims to integrate the Land Reclamation Decree with the existing Water Law, thereby enhancing the efficiency of water management.
The proposed amendments include eliminating the free quarter allocation and establishing clear timeframes for the implementation of projects for which land has been acquired, as well as increasing the fines imposed for violations affecting water resources. These measures are part of the Authority's efforts to ensure water security and protect Syria's water resources from abuse.
To enhance its technical capabilities, the General Authority for Water Resources, through its central administration, coordinates with several international organizations and donors. This coordination focuses on upgrading information centers and groundwater, surface, and climate monitoring stations, enabling the collection of accurate and comprehensive data. Cooperation also includes dam evaluations, water harvesting studies, and hydrological basin analysis.
The Authority is committed to preparing vital periodic reports, such as the weekly rainfall report and weekly dam storage reports. Work is continuously underway to upload periodic data—including information on rainfall, springs, groundwater, climate, drinking water, water quality, and dams—to the central database to ensure the availability of up-to-date and comprehensive information.
The Authority is giving special attention to the rehabilitation of major projects, coordinating with donors to contribute to the rehabilitation of irrigation networks, pumping stations, and other vital infrastructure. The Authority is also working to restart and monitor the implementation of stalled projects, most notably the Faqi Hassan and Baradoun dams, with the aim of completing and operating them.
The Authority's responsibilities also include monitoring the investment in dams and government irrigation networks, in addition to the periodic monitoring of investment projects to ensure the efficiency and safety of investments in the water sector.
As part of its efforts to develop the information infrastructure, the Authority is working on preparing thematic maps as part of completing the comprehensive water map. These maps include data from water consumer associations in Homs, Tartous, and Latakia, water projects in Homs and Damascus, as well as maps of irrigated areas, water use maps, and water quality maps.
The authority also analyzes rainfall data, dam reservoir levels, and spring discharges, and prepares the necessary charts. This includes analyzing some data received from Idlib Governorate regarding drinking water and spatially linking it using a Geographic Information System (GIS), which enhances the ability to plan and manage water resources effectively.
