‘’Our wells have dried up’’: How innovations in water management are helping farmers in Syria to revive drought-hit farmlands

As COP29 kicks off this week, global leaders are gathering in Azerbaijan for another round of negotiations on the climate crisis. This year's agenda is dominated by climate finance: establishing the mechanisms - and deciding who pays - for the most vulnerable countries to prepare, respond and rebuild from the impacts of climate change.

Building local resilience in Syria

In Syria, these impacts are felt acutely through ongoing drought which has created major challenges for farmers growing crops and which threatens the already fragile food security in the region. In response to this, CARE and Syrian partner IYD - through the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS) programme - have started an innovative project to treat wastewater for use in farming and by rehabilitating three irrigation canals.

Shamel's story: Water management solutions

Shamel*, a 45-year-old farmer from rural Aleppo, has spent his whole life working on the land. His farm was once a good source of income for his family, but this is no longer the case: ongoing war, rising costs of farming supplies and the lack of rain means farming was becoming nearly impossible.

Desperate for water, Shamel and other farmers started using untreated wastewater from a nearby canal, even though this carried health risks.

That's when BLRS rehabilitated the wastewater treatment station, providing farmers in the region access to clean water for irrigation.

A lifeline for farmers

This project is part of CARE's wider strategy to strengthen farming infrastructure in northwest Syria, ensuring that farmers can continue growing crops by using healthy water and using it more efficiently. In the next phase of the project, farmers will receive additional cash assistance to adopt drip irrigation systems and improve the filtration of treated wastewater.

Shamel calls this project a lifeline for the farmers but also for their lands. "It has saved many families and brought large areas of farmland back to life. Without this project, we wouldn't be farming today. We couldn't afford the costs, and the challenges were too big to handle. Thanks to the support we received, we were able to cover farming and irrigation costs, make our crops healthier and provide for our families".

The countries which are most vulnerable to climate change are often least able to pay for its impacts, whether this is supporting farmers through drought, rebuilding after devastating floods or ensuring families have enough food to eat when extreme weather destroys a harvest. This means it's farmers like Shamel, their families and their communities who end up paying the price. And, as COP29 negotiations get underway, this is why it is critical that the most vulnerable countries have the support they need: not only through programmes like the BLRS but also commitments - and action - from the global community.

CARE International UK at COP29

At COP29 this year, CARE International UK is urging the Labour government to deliver on its promises of climate leadership by championing both climate and gender justice.

Women and girls in the global south, who have contributed the least to the climate crisis, are bearing the brunt of its impacts. Yet they remain excluded from crucial decision-making and from accessing the resources they need to lead the change for their communities and the planet.

This needs to change - now.

*Names have been changed