Western coercive measures against Syria affect all aspects of life, including environmental and climate issues – Al-Baath Media

The head of the Syrian Arab Republic delegation to the World Climate Action Summit, Prime Minister Eng. Hussein Arnous, stressed that the coercive Western measures against Syria affect all aspects of life, including environmental and climate issues, noting that reducing the effects of drought, supporting the transition to modern irrigation, relying on renewable energy sources, and reducing harmful gas emissions are priorities for government action in Syria.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Engineer Arnous said, “We in Syria, like any other country, bear the concerns of the climate change that is occurring and which poses a threat to the world. Collective measures must be taken by each country according to its capabilities, whether in mitigating climate damage or adapting to climate change.”

He pointed out that Syria was one of the first countries to sign the climate agreement in 2007, and it also officially joined and signed the Paris Agreement, and worked by all means and methods according to the established programs, and made great strides in mitigation and adaptation operations by switching to modern irrigation in agriculture.

Engineer Arnous explained that sustainability in agriculture and the transition to renewable energy are proceeding at an increasing pace, like all economic activities in Syria, which are growing significantly, in addition to dealing with the effects of drought and mitigating its effects, which is proven by facts and implementation rates.

He added, “Syria was exposed to an unjust war in all aspects, and the environment had a share in the deterioration as a result of this terrorist war, because a large portion of the facilities that were built within the framework of mitigating environmental impacts, including water stations and projects to convert to modern irrigation, were subjected to sabotage, destruction, and theft and were completely out of service.”

The head of the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic stated that “a portion of Syria’s underground wealth is being stolen in full view of the entire world by the occupation, and a portion of it is being refined in very poor, primitive ways that leave major impacts on the environment, the people of the region, the agricultural lands, and the water.”

He explained that the shortage of oil derivatives due to theft and the blockade put pressure on the forests and forced many people to rely on them for heating in the winter.

The Prime Minister pointed out that “Syria used to produce 5 million tons of wheat, and its annual needs were 2.5 million tons. It used to export wheat and help with wheat. This did not come out of nowhere, as the state spent hundreds of billions of dollars on land reclamation and the construction of irrigation canals and dams. However, this matter has completely changed. Today, because of the terrorist war, what the state is able to obtain is about one million tons, and it imports one and a half million tons of wheat.”

He added, “Climate changes have also affected production. Rainfed lands used to produce 30 percent of wheat, but in recent years these lands have generally gone out of service due to climate conditions and lack of rain. Also, the source country of the Euphrates River allows the flow of an amount not exceeding 50 percent of the share allocated to Syria and Iraq according to international agreements, and therefore all of these factors affect agricultural production.”

These challenges have a significant impact, especially on investment and reconstruction, according to Eng. Arnous. Therefore, Syria is first demanding the lifting of the unjust Western coercive measures, as they prevent the establishment of projects and hinder the work of international organizations that want to help the Syrian government in some climate issues.

Engineer Arnous explained that the issue of modern irrigation is a priority for government work in Syria due to the water shortage. A decision was also made to proceed with renewable energies that do not depend on fossil fuels, whether solar or wind energy. More than 600 megawatts were generated this year, and there is a trend to generate 50 percent of the energy that Syria needs in the medium term through renewable energy sources.

He also pointed out that the Israeli enemy deprives the people of the occupied Syrian Golan of their right to water, steals it and buries waste in Syrian territory, which deprives Syrian citizens of their rights to this wealth located within their lands.

Engineer Arnous praised the initiative of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to establish a global climate solutions fund, during the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change “COP 28”.

The Prime Minister stressed that Syria is working with all countries and organizations to mitigate the effects of climate change, and today the Syrian government delegation is present at the COP28 conference to participate in all its activities and to exchange experiences and discuss possible solutions to help overcome the difficulties of climate change.