Environmental restoration: Syrians plant trees near oil-polluted river

An oil slick in Syria’s Khabur River, the main tributary of the Euphrates River, has made farming almost impossible, a farmer in Hasakah said.

For the past two months, Riyad Aswad has been desperately trying to keep his wheat crop alive long enough harvest season. He’s not the only one in trouble, with hundreds of other farmers across the Northeast grappling with pollution.

The oil spill first emerged in February and was blamed on a series of airstrikes by Turkish forces on Kurdish-affiliated refineries in the northeast. Syria.

After the attack, I stopped using water from the river to irrigate my fields, Al-Aswad told Euronews Green. It would be easier for me to just uproot the crops and poison the soil.

What’s behind Syria’s oil contamination?

Turkey’s defense minister said the attack was in retaliation for an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq by Kurdish militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in January, which killed nine Turkish soldiers.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Terkiye Considered an offshoot of the PKK, a terrorist group designated by Turkey and the West, it is the military arm of the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed autonomous government in northern and eastern Syria. The Arab League has taken control of much of northeastern Syria following a conflict with the Islamic State militant group.

Since 2016, Trkiye has conducted a series of ground military operations to limit the SDF’s presence in Syria’s northern border areas.

Ongoing fighting has exacerbated an already worsening humanitarian crisis in the north, with 5 million people in a region once known as the “national capital” at risk of losing clean drinking water.granary‘.

Northeastern Syria vulnerable to climate change

Aswad now relies on rainfall for irrigation, but Syria is experiencing the worst drought For seventy years, he prayed for an end to instability.

oil pollution Hamdan Al-Shammari, a farmer in Tell Brak, said this was not the only consequence farmers had to deal with after the attacks.

He explained that the airstrikes disrupted oil supplies in the region, exacerbating power outages in the northeast that could last throughout the day. It also reduces the availability of diesel fuel needed to power irrigation systems to produce water that flows to the soil.

climate change is a global threat, and northeastern Syria is no exception, especially since it has suffered from the consequences of decades of desertification and drought. Raman Drouish, an agricultural engineer and environmental expert, said ongoing reforestation efforts are needed.

More than a decade of conflict has cost Syria at least 25% forest According to the EU Climate Change Risk Index, its vulnerability and readiness to adapt to climate change are low and therefore it faces extremely high risks.

Farid Sadun, a Kurdish affairs analyst, noted that primitive oil extraction and refining technology has long plagued the region.combustion crude He said this led to the production of derivatives laden with toxic and carcinogenic gases, which had a negative impact on overall health in northeastern Syria.

“On the one hand, there is a scarcity of green space; on the other hand, there is a lack of adequate attention to reforestation and, to make matters worse, Turkey’s attacks on the area,” Druis said.

Against this backdrop, reforestation activities have become more important than ever.

Civil society unites to build a green Northeast

In response to airstrikes and ongoing drought, a coalition of 31 civil society organizations in northeastern Syria has organized a volunteer campaign to plant the first 1,000 trees in the first half of 2024.

The joint operation, called Aghras Al-Somoud (“Planting Resilience” in English), was launched on February 27. So far, local organizations have planted 400 trees in Hasakah and 200 trees in Qamishli, nearly 200 meters from the Khabur oil spill site.

This is our solution to save our home drought Idris Dawood, chairman of the administrative committee of the youth civil society organization, which oversees coordination among participating groups, said the organization is responsible for overseeing coordination among participating groups.

“These Tree It can at least be a first step in environmental remediation.

The effort is not unusual in northeastern Syria and fits in with several other programs to combat drought in the region.

In the Gueran community, which is grappling with deforestation and recurring droughts, a community initiative planted 1,700 saplings in February with the goal of ultimately improving the environment air quality.

Resident Jassem Al-Hamid said that although the event was small and only covered the neighborhood, it was a joint community effort that made us feel like we were helping our city.

Another successful initiative was launched in March by residents of Al-Hilaliyah in Qamishli, where Kurds live alongside Syrian internally displaced persons. Community members did what they could and donated money to plant more than 1,000 trees.

The area near the Turkish border is a barren land wasteland. Now it has become a public space where families can gather together and enjoy the fresh air.

Trees can play an important role in mitigating climate change climate changeOr at least create an adaptation to drought and desertification, Drulish said.

Such activities help create an environmental balance, as long as they are sustainable, cover a large area and receive sustained attention.

This article is published in partnership with Egabu.