Conflict-driven Deforestation and Pollution in Syria.

For nine years the war in Syria has brought mayhem and misery to its population. Millions are displaced, hundreds of thousands killed, many more wounded and the country is in ruins. Fighting in urban, industrial, and agricultural areas has left a trail of environmental destruction that will remain for decades. PAX published ‘Amidst the Debris’, a study on environmental dimensions of the armed conflict in Syria in 2015, followed by ’Scorched Earth and Charred Lives’, a satellite analysis on the rise of artisanal oil refining in Deir ez Zor, in 2016. Investigation and monitoring the impacts of conflict events on the environment and subsequently, civilians, is crucial for addressing health and livelihood concerns in humanitarian response and post-conflict reconstruction work. Security concerns often hinder access to conflict areas limiting data collection on environmental damage, including biodiversity and natural resources. Therefore, geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing using satellite data provide an essential tool for land degradation monitoring, burned area analysis, pollution identification and vegetation change detection. Other types of information can be collected through open-source investigation methods, including analysis of social media coming out of conflict-affected areas. PAX is working to innovate these methodologies and apply them to the identification and monitoring of environmental damage in Syria. A brief look at the critical issue of conflict pollution from the oil industry in eastern Syria and alarming rates of deforestation in the west of the country illustrate the unique environmental challenges from the ongoing war.

Deforestation

 Syria’s main forested areas are in the west of the country and have been severely affected throughout the last nine years. This is mainly caused by cutting down trees for firewood and charcoal production, forest fires, and the deliberate destruction by targeting armed groups hiding in the forest.

Our analysis uses satellite imagery and machine learning combined with open-source resources to classify the land cover, with baseline data from before the conflict started in 2011. Then we looked at the loss of tree cover every year, which showed a drastic reduction in trees in the period 2012-2013, and ongoing forest loss continuing until 2019. In total we identified a 20.4% loss of tree cover in the period 2012-2019. Loss of tree cover has direct and long-term impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. Forest loss and degradation has already led to the extinction of species and the damage of livelihoods of millions of people – who rely on forests for subsistence. Tree cover loss can also create soil erosion and landslide risks. Reforestation and recovery of these affected areas will therefore be crucial for environmental recovery and sustainable reconstruction for Syria’s people and to combat climate crisis related risks.

Oil Pollution 

Local concerns about ongoing pollution of ground and surface water, soil and air from a crumbling oil industry spurred research into a number of structural problems such as dumping of oil, wastewater and incidental problems suck pipeline breaks and seasonal flooding of oil filled rivers. Using satellite analysis and interviews with affected communities PAX documented ongoing oil spills from leaking refineries that polluted a 160km long river, flooded agricultural lands and impacted the local groundwater sources on which dozens of villages and towns depend. Nearby communities fear the impact of these spills on their health and livelihoods. Furthermore, the widespread use of unsustainable coping strategies such as makeshift oil refining is posing a serious risk to civilians active in this informal oil industry, including many children working in toxic conditions to support their family. Tens-of-thousands of such refineries contribute to further environmental degradation from oil waste dumps and air pollution. International support for clean-up, remediation and sustainable use of natural resources is key for redevelopment of these areas, recovery of affected ecosystems and safe use of land and water sources by local communities. Addressing environmental damage from the conflict, including the severely damaged oil industry, deforestation but also proper solid waste management, environmental regulation and repairing environmental infrastructure is a critical component of post-conflict reconstruction and environmental rehabilitation work in Syria. Access to clean water, removal of toxic waste and reforestation is crucial for rebuilding a healthy ecosystem for people to live in and rebuild their country.

More on PAX’s Conflict & Environment work can be found at https://www.paxforpeace.nl/our-work/ programmes/conflict-environment.