The Household Water Crisis in Syria’s Greater Damascus Region

Damascus has experienced prolonged daily water shut-offs, particularly between June and January, with rationing reaching up to 20 hours per day in 2001.

This study addresses the ongoing domestic water crisis in the Greater Damascus Region within the context of Syria’s long-standing policy of prioritizing agricultural water use. Rather than pursuing costly inter-basin water transfer schemes from the Euphrates or Mediterranean, this research advocates a local solution: reallocating water from irrigation to household use, supported by efficient modern irrigation technologies.

The study analyzes the crisis’s causes, government under-investment in household water infrastructure, unsustainable irrigation demand, and rapid population growth, and evaluates alternative solutions, including water reallocation, operational savings measures, and inter-basin transfers, highlighting the economic feasibility and water availability benefits of the local approach.