MURKY OUTLOOK FOR SYRIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000691 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/RA AND OES DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID AND USDA/AGR RESEARCH SERVICE DEPT PLEASE PASS TO EPA WASHDC FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/WASHBURNE AMMAN FOR ESTH HUB OFFICER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EENV ETRD EAID PGOV SY SUBJECT: MURKY OUTLOOK FOR SYRIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Under sweltering, sand-filled and polluted skies -- symptomatic of Syria's environmental challenges -- Amman ESTH Hub officer and Emboffs held environment-related August 27 meetings in Damascus. Low environmental awareness, weak enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, increasing air pollution, poor water resource management, lack of a recycling framework, and poor wildlife conservation efforts are among the many challenges facing Syria. Signs of modest progress, however, including the recent establishment of several environmental NGOs, increased outreach activities with youth, and renewable energy projects on the horizon provide some respite in an otherwise bleak environmental landscape. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Symbolic of increasing environmental permissiveness by the Syrian government, a range of environmental NGOs, members of academia, and UNDP representatives met with visiting Amman ESTH Hub Officer during an Embassy-hosted dinner in Damascus. The Syrian interlocutors voiced their desire for increased interaction with the USG and U.S. private sector and academia in the environmental arena. Noting that the first ever environmental NGO - the Syrian Environmental Association (SEA) - was allowed to be registered in 2001, they highlighted the Syrian government's increasing tolerance for environmental outreach, awareness, and even some criticism. According to SEA, some government officials warily consider the NGOs as a competitor and do not support nascent efforts to create a union of environmental associations. However, the Syrian first lady has visited SEA's offices and the adjacent botanical gardens and Syrian President Assad has voiced his support to the SEA Chairman. Environmental Challenges Abound -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Some key environmental challenges facing Syria include: -- Weak Enforcement: The environmental law came into effect in 2002 but is not enforced. The General Commission for Environmental Affairs is considered to have a weak institutional capacity with a staffing of just 100 people in nine offices in major cities across the country. �0A;-- Air Pollution: Despite having switched to unleaded gasoline in the 1998-2002 timeframe, Damascus and other large cities suffer from significant air pollution, mostly attributed to the use of heavy diesel in the transportation sector. Although measured by the government in some locations, air pollutant data is not publicly available. -- Water Scarcity: Like many of its neighbors, Syria also faces water shortages, particularly in the southern part of the country. One NGO estimated that over 6,000 illegal wells are depleting the groundwater resources. There is no charge for agricultural use of water despite agriculture using more than 80 percent of water resources. The Barada River, once a mountain stream sparkling through Damascus is now a water trickle passing through mounds of garbage - if anyone were to follow the steps of Saint Paul and be baptized there they would be likely to develop a severe rash. -- Waste management: With no laws or regulations regarding recycling, waste management does not lend itself to sound recycling practices. Damascus generates about 1600 tons of municipal garbage daily, but only half is recycled at a landfill for organic fertilizer by a private sector company. SEA noted that since recycling is unregulated, many byproducts from recycled materials often have public health consequences and can also make it cumbersome to develop viable downstream businesses. -- Wildlife Conservation: There is limited expertise on wildlife conservation in the country. While hunting was banned 13 years ago, one NGO noted that nationals from the Gulf countries often come for weeks/months to hunt birds and rabbits, without intervention from the authorities. Wildlife byproducts (which might be in contravention of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) are widely sold in the local souqs. -- Environmental awareness: A documentary produced by the UNDP highlights the low degree of environmental awareness in Syria - with most people questioned not being aware of climate change or other environmental issues facing Syria. Environmental progress - some small steps -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Despite the paucity of resources and environmental awareness, there are signs of increased environmental activism among the estimated 25-30 environmental NGOs in Syria: -- SEA has had success in outreach activities with youth, noting their enthusiasm on engaging in environmental issues. The environmental clubs started by SEA attract many children to participate in its clean-up campaigns and tree-planting activities. Recycling and environmental art contests held with school-children draw many responses, some of which are prominently exhibited at the SEA-managed botanical gardens in Damascus' old city. SEA is seeking funding to aggressively expand this facility to include an environmental awareness and research center, herbarium, and library facility. Under a recent SEA grant from UNDP, a climate change mitigation and energy conservation contest for new inventions will be managed by SEA with prize money for the most promising innovations; -- As Syria struggles to meet its current burgeoning energy needs, the expected doubling of its population in the next 30 years portends a potential energy crisis. According to the UNDP, Syria plans to launch pilot solar and wind energy projects in collaboration with Germany, the EU and JICA in an attempt to ameliorate the situation. ICARDA Oasis in Northern Syria: -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The USG continues to be the largest donor to the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) based near Aleppo. Managed by roughly 80 international professional staff, the current project portfolio includes increasing agricultural productivity, soil research, water conservation techniques, terrace farming, and rehabilitation of rangelands. ICARDA boasts many accomplishments in raising agricultural productivity while also creating research networks of its trainees and scientists across 44 countries. ICARDA is seeking additional funding for its recently launched Water and Livelihoods Initiative (WLI) to develop and pilot-test integrated water and land-use management strategies in benchmark watersheds in seven countries. ICARDA management expressed their desire for a coordinated program of USG assistance that could include USDA, USAID, plus regional Department programs like MEPI. ICARDA hopes to participate in and increase its visibility at the Oct 7-9 Cairo EST Officers conference. CONNELLY