Damascus Faces Historic Water Shortage After Driest Winter in Decades
Syria’s capital is confronting its most severe water shortage in nearly 70 years after its main water source, the Ain al-Fijeh spring, fell to record-low levels due to an exceptionally dry winter. Officials said Monday that the current flow is the lowest since 1958.
The spring, located west of Damascus, is a surface water source highly dependent on rainfall and snowmelt. Khaled Hassan, director of the Ain al-Fijeh Spring Station, said the region received just 25% of its average annual precipitation this year, describing the lack of seasonal flooding from February to May as unprecedented. “This year is particularly difficult,” he said. “We didn’t even have the usual seasonal floods… which typically sustain Damascus and provide overflow to the Barada River.”
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The spring is currently releasing only 2 cubic meters of water per second—just a quarter of what the city requires. “Last year at this time, the spring was running at 10 cubic meters per second, with peaks reaching 20,” said Saeb Soufan, a mechanical technician at the station. “We used to have 24-hour flow, and now there is barely any.”
To mitigate the crisis, Syrian authorities have activated groundwater wells and imposed stricter rationing. Hassan said that while water is still reaching residents, the system is under strain. “There is no thirst in Damascus yet,” he said, “but the situation is fragile, and we hope it doesn’t get worse.”
