In a parched Syria, a path to plenty
One of the busiest people in a newly liberated Syria these days is its minister for agriculture, Amjad Badr. The stability of the Middle East may depend on the success of this man, whose doctorate research focused on irrigation.
Dr. Badr has been meeting with Syrian farmers and flying to foreign capitals to find ways to deal with the worst drought since the 1950s in a country that is already one of the most severely affected by the global climate crisis.
One reason for his busy schedule: Syria’s new leaders do not want history to repeat itself. A drought from 2006 to 2011 forced many young people in rural areas to migrate to cities where they ended up joining peaceful, pro-democracy protests. A government crackdown then led to a civil war, which ended with the overthrow of the Assad regime last December.
With one eye on its restless youth, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel, is now aiming to create a democracy. Yet he must cope with the fact that about a quarter of agricultural land is in a thermal drought, affecting more than 2.5 million people. Many farmers must also deal with groundwater depletion, wildfires, and the low flow of the Euphrates River. Nearly half of Syrians depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
In his travels, Dr. Badr stressed the need to modernize irrigation networks, regulate water sources, and “achieve positive outcomes in cultivating crops in areas experiencing water scarcity,” according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. Early this year, the United Nations stated that Syria remains one of the world’s “most complex humanitarian crises, significantly affecting the production and supply of its staple food, bread.” Nearly 9 in 10 people are “food insecure.”
Just how seriously is Syrian leader Mr. al-Sharaa taking this crisis? One measure is the appointment of Dr. Badr himself, and not just for his agricultural expertise. He is the only member of the 23-member Cabinet who is Druze, a small minority faith sometimes suppressed by Syria’s majority Sunni Muslims.
Syrians have long honed a national identity through shared crises – like droughts and dictatorships – that unify them in finding solutions. In his efforts, Dr. Badr spares no Syrian farmer from his concern. The country’s future depends on it.
