Syrian Country Report ALI KAISI YASSER MOHAMMED YOUSSEF MAHROUSEH ALI KAISI YASSER MOHAMMED YOUSSEF MAHROUSEH Irrigation System Performance PRESENTED BY : ALI KAISI WASAMED 2 nd Workshop (I.S.P) HAMMEMET – TUNISIA, June 2004

 Over the last 30 years of socio-economic development, the Syrian natural resources particularly water and land resources had an increasing attention.  Population growth and socio-economic development for all various activities started to create a growing pressure on water resources, leading to qualitative and quantitative changes of these resources. These resources form the most complicated and difficult circle due to their limitedness as compared to the increasing and rapid demand on water

 Hence, it was necessary to take a range of integrated measures for keeping the balance between the available resources and their demand under the framework of resource conservation from pollution and depletion and in the manner that ensures the sustainable development of all economic activities.  Emphasis was on vertical and horizontal expansion by constructing dams and drilling wells in renewable- water areas.

Additionally, great emphasis is given to water use rationalization through the use of modern irrigation techniques. To maximize WUE, Water Research Center had been established to conduct specialized research on water resource development and improvement, irrigation projects development and establishment of Administration of Natural Resource Research (ANRR) for implementing research aiming at on-farm water resource management rationalization and improvement.

Natural Conditions in Syria Location and Area Syria lies between longitude 36 – 42 east and latitude 32 – 37 north. Syria’s total area is km 2 Population million in 2003, growth rate 2.65% Climate Mediterranean Sea’s climate prevails in Syria, where three climatic areas can be mentioned: The costal area The mountainous inland area The desert area

Rainfall Rainfall rate by agro- ecological zone in Syria Zone Area (000) ha % out of total country area Annual rainfall rate Rainfall amount billion m3 year 1 st )1( mm 350 > nd rd th mm 250 < th )2( mm 200< Total % I* I* I* I* I* I* I* I* I I I II II II II IV IV IV IV III III III III III III III III V V V Hama Palmyra Sweida Dara Quneitra Idleb Aleppo Iskandaroun Lattakia Tartous Hassakeh Raqqa Deir-Ezzor Bou- Kamal Homs Kameshli Al-Thawra Damascus V IV IV III III II II I I* I* 1st. Agro-ecological Zone (A) 5th. Agro-ecological Zone 4th. Agro-ecological Zone 3rd. Agro-ecological Zone 2nd. Agro-ecological Zone 1st. Agro-ecological Zone (B) Average precipitation is more than 46.0 billion m 3

Water Resources in Syria Water balance elementsUnit Hydrological basins Total Barada & A 6waj YarmoukSteppe OrontesCoastal Tigris & Khabour Euphrates & Aleppo Average water resources Surface water m 3 m Groundwater m 3 m Totalm 3 m Rainfall ratio at 75 % probability to average annual rainfall %83.7 Rainfall ratio at 50 % probability to average annual rainfall %67.1 Available water resources Natural Surface water m 3 m Groundwater m 3 m Totalm 3 m Organization degree% Organized water resourcesm 3 m Wastewater and industrial effluents m 3 m Drainage effluentsm 3 m Total water resources available for use m 3 m Available Water Resources

Water Resource Development A. Dams Number of dams reached 159 dam end 2003 with total storage m.m 3 (including volume of storage lakes).

 75 irrigation dam at 47% of total dams.  24 drinking water dam at 15% of total dams.  32 sheep drinking at 20% of total dams.  28 multi-purpose dam at 18% of total dams

B. Government Irrigation Projects Irrigated area increased from 670 thousand ha in 1990 to million ha in 2003 Irrigated area covered by government irrigation systems is estimated at ha, constituting 24% of total irrigated area in Syria and distributed on basins Through the experiment, it has been indicated that the efficiency of large irrigation projects equipped with cement canals is nearly 75% for localized irrigation, 50 – 65% for sprinkler irrigation, and 45 – 50% for surface irrigation depending on the climatic conditions.

If the conveyance and distribution canals are earth, the total project efficiency will be about 55% for localized irrigation and 35% for surface irrigation. The government irrigation project comprise irrigation systems composing of main, secondary and tertiary canals. These canals are trapezoid and case-like lining cement ones

 In addition, there are quadric canals and they are earth canals (field) with changing and irregular section.  Canals (I – II – III) are conveyance and distribution ones with an efficiency ranging 75 – 95%, while the quadric canals are earth ones with low efficiency ranging 45 – 50%

Irrigation Systems and Practices Applied in Syria A: Traditional irrigation system Traditionally irrigated lands are estimated to 82% of total irrigated area, considering that the total engineering efficiency of water uses 82% of total irrigated area, considering that the total engineering efficiency of water uses is not more than 50% at best as the water is taken from irrigation systems (government & private) by gravity or pumping from wells or rivers via earth and unsuitable canals.

Project irrigation efficiency is related to its components. If it is possible to achieve canal conveyance and distribution efficiency 80 – 95%, this figure will decline to 40 – 50% by surface irrigation.

B Modern Irrigation System Irrigated areas by modern irrigation methods of the 4 th quarter of 2002 till the end of 2003 Province Irrigation method Rural Damascus Sweida Quneitra DeraaHoms Hama Al-GhabIdlebAleppoTartousLattakiaRaqqaHassakeDeir Ezzor Total Drip Sprinkler Improved surface Total

Using modern irrigation methods started as individual initiatives, then the government paid attention to the introduction of these techniques and encouragement of farmers to possess and use these techniques through the national programme for transferring to modern irrigation which was started late Accordingly, total area irrigated by modern methods (drip – sprinkler – improved surface) reached 246 thousand ha end 2003 equal to 18.7% of total irrigated and actually cultivated area and 28.2% of total area irrigated by groundwater by pumping.

Technical and Research Findings for the Use of Modern Techniques in Crop Irrigation Research findings: StatementTree Irrigation method LocalizedSurface Total water requirement ha / m 3 Almonds Grapes Olives Water saving as compared to irrigation surface % Almonds38- Grapes28- Olives52- Yield ha / Kg Almonds Grapes Olives Fruit oil Yield increase % Almonds22- Grapes41- Olives Fruit29- oil41- UEW m 3 / kg Almonds Grapes Olives Fruit oil Application efficiency % Almonds9557 Grapes9260 Olives9450 Technical comparison among irrigation methods applied for fruit tree irrigation at country level

Technical comparison among irrigation methods applied for crop irrigation at country level StatementCrop Irrigation method DripSprinkler Improved surfaceTraditional surface Total water requirement ha / m 3 Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Maize Water saving as compared to surface irrigation % Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Maize yield ha / kg Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Roots Sugar Maize % Yield increase Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Sugar Roots Maize UEW m 3 / kg Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Sugar Roots Maize Application efficiency % Cotton Wheat Sugar beet Maize

B. Results of demonstration fields a. Sprinkler irrigation led to - Irrigation water saving 31% - Yield increase 27.7% - WUE increase from 0.31 to 1.1 kg/ m 3 b. Localized irrigation led to : - Irrigation water saving : 45% - Yield increase : 32% - WUE increase from 0.31 to 1.24 kg /m 3 C. Improved surface irrigation led to : - Irrigation water saving : 22% - Yield increase : 25% - WUE increase from 0.31 to 0.58 kg/m 3

Guidelines for the Policies and Measures of Sustainable Development Guidelines for the Policies and Measures of Sustainable Development The goal is to prepare modern water balances showing the movement and hydrochemistry of water, reconnaissance of deep aquifers, clarification of groundwater discharge and recharge…etc. A. Water resource assessment B. Development of a comprehensive water plan - Assessing present and future uses up to the year Assessing, collecting, treating and reusing non- conventional water. - Controlling water quality and quantity. - Establishing training and qualification programmes.

C. Operation and maintenance of irrigation projects: Giving importance to the operation and maintenance works in terms of equipment provision. Developing and rehabilitating old irrigation projects D. Water use rationalization: Minimizing losses and wastes in water distribution systems by applying advanced irrigation techniques. Conducting studies for reducing evaporation. Selecting good property lands for appropriate irrigation and cropping rotations. Preventing violations and encroaching upon water structures.

E. Modernization of water legislation, aiming at: Optimal management of water resources for multi activities. Addressing water use rights and water protection from pollution. Keeping pace with technological progress and its reflection on water resource process. F. Toward the activation of WUAs role by issuing necessary legislation: Identification of water users bodies. Identification of WUAs role in water distribution process. Identification of WUAs in irrigation projects maintenance.

Conclusions Limited Syrian water resources as compared to the increasing demand size by different economic sectors. Syrian government’s attention to water resources and considering it a natural resource that should be saved to meet the necessary needs by constructing dams and governmental irrigation projects. The necessity to rehabilitate old irrigation projects and development of modern ones by transferring them to piped canals in conveyance and distribution, conducive to the use of modern techniques in on-farm irrigation. Adoption of a range of measures and polices by the government, aiming at the sustainable development of water resources and the orientation toward WUAs establishment and the activation of existing ones.