Current estimates project that by 2015 available water supplies will increasingly fall below demand in Syria. The problem is compounded by the fact that the Syrian population is increasing at an average rate of 2.5% per year, the EU head of delegation in Damascus Dr. Frank Hesske said during the recent inauguration of Hama - Bseira water project.
According to him, Syria should aim, through its policies, to pay the provision of water at its real cost, rather than using non-renewable water resources. To do this, average incomes need to rise to pay for the real cost of desalination, water treatment and water-recycling. This requires that the Syrian economy moves into more added-value products or services (such as tourism, world-class manufacturing, informatics and inclusion in the global supply chains).
The project of the Hama-Bseira Water Supply Project, has lasted 10 years and the European Union supported it with a grant of nearly €10 million. In the region of Bseira, the project contributed to the relocation of the water intake from the Euphrates river and the installation of the water treatment plant, including the prvision of necessary equipment.
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
