Syria’s rural south faces disaster amid worst drought in 40 years

Traditionally known as Syria's breadbasket, the country's southern regions are suffering unprecedented drought alongside Israeli water theft and state neglect.
4 min read
Damascus
04 July, 2025
Last Update
04 July, 2025 15:45 PM
A farmer in Qamishli in northern Syria watches as wheat is unloaded at a silo. Syria is facing an unprecedented drought this year causing scores of farmers to lose their entire crops [Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty]

Farmers in southern Syria are preparing for a disastrous harvest as the provinces of Daraa, Suweida, and Quneitra suffer their worst drought in 40 years.

Farmers across the southern region, known as Syria's "breadbasket" since ancient times, are grappling with unprecedented drought, soaring costs, deteriorating infrastructure, and growing insecurity.

"This is the first time in forty years that I've seen the land crack open from thirst," said 62-year-old Khaled Ali, a farmer from rural Daraa.

Like many in the Houran region, Ali has lost his entire wheat crop this season - over 200 dunums - due to diminished rainfall and unaffordable agricultural inputs.

This year, rainfall in Daraa plummeted to just 113 mm. This marks a 60 percent drop compared to last season and the lowest level since 1985, according to an official from the province's directorate of agriculture.

The effects have been devastating: 55 percent of previously irrigated lands are now dependent on scarce rainfall, and 38 percent of cultivated areas have gone barren. Olive trees have fallen from 6 million in 2012 to 3.5 million today, and grape cultivation has been nearly wiped out.

Compounding the crisis is the Israeli occupation of land deep in Syria's southern territory since December 2024. This has led to severe water shortages as Israel has sabotaged water networks and seized vital water sources.

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Local resident Mohammed Hafri described the situation in Ma'ariya village as "unbearable", with key water sources such as the Sahm Golan and Abidin dams at critically low levels.

Al-Mantara dam - the largest in Quneitra - feeds water to eight other dams in southwestern Syria.

With this key dam now under Israel's control, Tel Aviv is now reportedly blocking the flow of water to these dams, which provides water to agricultural towns and villages in Daraa province.

Across the region, farmers are digging deep wells in desperation, some up to 40m deep, but this is not helping the situation.

"The soil here is dying… with every tree that dies, the farmer loses decades of hard work and care," said Mohammed Salkhadi, an olive farmer in the town of Jasim. The extracted water, rich in calcium carbonate, is scorching tree roots rather than saving them, he explains.

In Suweida, known for its apple orchards and vineyards, the crisis is no less acute. Omar Mufadi, who owns around 200 fruit trees, explains that a single apple tree requires 120 litres of water daily.

"The cost of water alone now exceeds the value of the crop," he says. He also pointed out that fertiliser prices have rocketed from 15,000 Syrian pounds in 2020 to over 200,000 today - even for low quality products, making an "impossible equation" for farmers.

In a bid to adapt to the drought conditions, in villages like Khabab, communities are reviving ancient Roman and Nabataean wells to harvest precious rainwater.

Others are turning to shade farming, which involves growing specific herbs and mushrooms in caves, abandoned rooms, and under trees, to conserve water and generate an income.

"These crops use just 20 percent of the water needed for vegetables and are sold to pharmacies for herbal medicine," said farmer Firas Harb, highlighting a rare success story in today's challenging circumstances.

Meanwhile, a new generation of farmers is embracing "aetheric farming", which involve innovative, small-scale projects using rooftop gardens and vertical pipe systems.

Agricultural engineer Issam Hamandi says these methods aren't just practical but necessary, stressing that "they are the future of agriculture in our region" - warning that 65 percent of farmland in Daraa and Suweida could vanish within five years if current trends continue.

However, as Syria's southern communities strive to adapt, they face an overwhelming lack of governmental support.

A source from the Suweida Directorate of Agriculture revealed that the government's agricultural aid budget hadn't exceeded 2 percent of actual needs for many years.

This year, there has been no support at all, and farmers who once received subsidised fertilisers and drought-resistant seeds are now being left entirely to fend for themselves.

This is an edited and abridged translation from our Arabic edition.