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Viewing cable 08DAMASCUS691, MURKY OUTLOOK FOR SYRIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08DAMASCUS691 2008-10-06 04:11 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0691/01 2800411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060411Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5411
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 7408
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
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. 
 
-- 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