The Environmental Authority under the “Self-Administration” in northeast Syria has reported that desertification poses a threat to 85% of the regions in the area.
According to a study conducted by the authority, 15,000 hectares of land have already been affected by desertification in northeast Syria.
The study highlighted that the most affected areas include Deir ez-Zur, Raqqa, Tabqa, and Al-Hasakah City.
Arif Muslim, Director of Planning and Projects at the authority, pointed out that desertification has been expanding in the region compared to previous years due to climate change, drought, soil erosion, salinization, deforestation, and the country’s situation.
Northeast Syria, particularly under the governance of the Self-Administration, faces significant environmental challenges exacerbated by ongoing conflicts and climate factors.
Desertification, intensified by changing weather patterns and environmental degradation, threatens agricultural productivity and livelihoods in a region already strained by humanitarian and political crises.
As international attention focuses on resolving Syria’s civil war, environmental concerns like desertification continue to pose long-term challenges for sustainable development in the region.
