Energy News
FARM NEWS
Revived reservoir a lifeline for Syria farmers
Revived reservoir a lifeline for Syria farmers
By Omar Haj Kaddour
Bala, Syria (AFP) May 31, 2024

For the first time in over a decade of conflict, farmers in Syria's rebel-held northwest are irrigating their crops more easily thanks to the rehabilitation of a vital reservoir, bringing life back to parched fields.

Water from the Bala reservoir is once again flowing to a fertile plain in the Idlib area, home to several million people, many of them displaced during the country's devastating civil war.

"More than 10 years ago, water stopped flowing into the reservoir because of a lack of electricity" for the pumps, said Mohammed Ramadan, 42, irrigating his crops in the village of Bala.

Farmers have relied on rainwater ever since, but it was never enough for their crops to thrive, he added.

"Now, thank God, water is flowing again," he told AFP, with farmers diversifying their crops to include vegetables like eggplant and peppers rather than just the bare essentials.

The reservoir went back into service after years of problems, including poor maintenance and damage to some of its facilities due to bombardment.

Pumps at a nearby station were repaired and reconnected to the electricity grid, while other cleaning and maintenance work was also carried out, according to the authorities.

It collects rainwater in the winter, while water is also pumped in from the Orontes River area nearby.

Agriculture is the main source of income for many in the roughly 60 villages in the Rouj plain, a vast patchwork of green and golden crops cutting rectangular shapes around the reservoir.

"When water began to flow again, the entire Rouj area was revived," Ramadan said, pumping water from a nearby canal.

- 'Where will our sheep graze?' -

Livestock grazed near the reservoir's edge, while children swam in an adjoining canal.

"We were limited to growing beans and tomatoes" before the reservoir was rehabilitated, said farmer Walid Mohammadia, 40, as he harvested zucchinis.

"But today we can grow crops that we couldn't afford to plant before," he said, visibly excited.

"When water flowed again, life returned," he added.

The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 14.5 million cubic metres (512 million cubic feet), said Tammam al-Hamud, an official in charge of water resources.

The Syrian war erupted from 2011 anti-regime protests and evolved into a complex conflict involving international powers and proxies. More than half a million people lost their lives, with millions displaced.

Jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and affiliated armed factions run the Idlib bastion, which also includes slivers of neighbouring Hama, Aleppo and Latakia provinces.

When the renovation project -- expected to cost around $2.5 million -- is fully completed, the reservoir will be able to irrigate more than 10,000 hectares of farmland, compared to about 4,000 hectares currently, Hamud added.

He expressed hope the stores would help increase crop yields, especially for more water-intensive cotton, whose cultivation is crucial "because it provides raw material for factories" that employ many people in the region.

Jihad al-Sawaq, an official in charge of pumping stations in the area, said the aim of repairing the reservoir was to "increase the irrigated areas to boost crop production".

"We will encourage planting several strategic types of crops including sugar beets, sunflowers and soybeans, which we had stopped producing in 2011," he said.

But not everybody is happy with the project.

"Our sheep used to graze inside the reservoir, and now it's filled with water," said shepherd Zakwan al-Hamdun, 53, who lives in a nearby displacement camp.

"Where will our sheep graze now?" he asked, his livestock nibbling on meagre tufts of grass between the camp's tents.

"We want the (local) government to at least help by providing fodder," he added.

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FARM NEWS
Rainy spring weather plagues Bordeaux vines with mildew
Saint-Quentin-De-Baron, France (AFP) May 29, 2024
Successive rainy springs in recent years have boosted the spread of mildew through France's world-famous Bordeaux vineyards, driving some growers to the brink of despair. Damp and warm weather favour the fungus that causes the grape disease, while the unseasonable rain washes away the pesticides used in organic operations. "I've already treated (the vines) 10 times since April, almost every three or four days," said Jerome Boutinon, clambering off his tractor fitted with a device for spraying co ... read more

FARM NEWS
Satellite-Based Hyperspectral Sensors Enhance Monitoring Capabilities

EarthCARE satellite launches to probe how clouds affect climate

Twin NASA Satellites to Measure Earth's Polar Energy Emissions

NASA provides new near real-time air quality data

FARM NEWS
Magic Lane secures 3 million euro to enhance location intelligence capabilities

China Encourages BeiDou System Integration in Electric Bicycles

Estonia summons Russian envoy over GPS jamming

OneNav introduces new L5-direct GNSS receiver in response to increased GPS jamming

FARM NEWS
Vast concessions threaten Malaysia's forest: report

Deforestation in Brazil's Cerrado higher than in Amazon: report

Deforestation exacerbated deadly Brazil floods: experts

Half of mangrove ecosystems at risk: conservationists

FARM NEWS
Singapore shipper claims milestone with bio-methanol refuelling

Vast Gets Approval for Solar Methanol Plant in Port Augusta

Studying bubbles can lead to more efficient biofuel motors

Chicken fat transformed into supercapacitor components

FARM NEWS
Upcoming Workshop to Address Net Billing Tariff and Net Energy Metering

SCE Provides Quarterly Updates on Interconnection Capacity Analysis Improvements

Research team achieves significant solar cell efficiency milestone

Lithuanian researchers advance solar cell technology

FARM NEWS
Why US offshore wind power is struggling - the good, the bad and the opportunity

Robots enhance wind turbine blade production at NREL

Offshore wind turbines may reduce nearby power output

Wind Energy Expansion Planned for China's Rural Areas

FARM NEWS
Australia gives largest coal power plant two-year lifeline

US plans to end leasing in its largest coal-producing region

In coal country Bulgaria, a losing battle against EU Green Deal

Banks slow to limit coal financing: NGO

FARM NEWS
China says supports Hong Kong authorities after campaigners found guilty

China wheelchair users claim outdoors with hand-cranked bikes

Luxury influencers vanish from Chinese social media in wealth crackdown

China sentences former asset manager to death for 'extremely large' bribes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.