Surroundings in Syria

Syria has formal public systems, municipal services and humanitarian or community-based substitutes, but their coverage is fragmented. Water, sanitation and hygiene services, often called WASH, may rely on the piped network, boreholes, water stations, reservoirs, pumping stations, trucking, household storage or bottled water. Water supply remains about 40% below pre-war levels. More than half of supplied water is not safely treated, non-revenue water is about 44% nationally and can reach 80% locally, and around 70% of wastewater is untreated. Damascus commonly receives water for about 6–8 hours a day. The Fijeh spring flow has fallen to about 2 cubic metres per second, roughly 12% of its historical level. Drought has also dried 552 boreholes and 27 springs in reported areas. Electricity shortages directly affect pumping, refrigeration, lighting, heating and communications. Supply can be limited to about 2–4 hours per day in some areas, and water systems may operate at around 22% of production capacity during power interruptions. Families and service providers may therefore use tanks, private trucking, chlorination, sodium hypochlorite, reverse-osmosis stations or solar and emergency generators. Tariff systems are outdated, electricity tariff revisions affect pumping costs, and reliable nationwide household prices are not available. Water and electricity projects financed through public and international programmes are expected to continue during 2025–2026, but access remains location-dependent. Roads, sewage networks and solid-waste collection are especially unreliable in informal settlements, camps, collective shelters and areas of return. Municipal administrative units, local authorities, the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, the Ministry of Energy, the Syrian Water Establishment and the Public Establishment for Transmission and Distribution of Electricity share responsibilities across different services. UN-Habitat, UNDP, UNICEF and other organisations often support repairs or temporary provision. Law No. 50/2002 establishes environmental protection, inspection, environmental impact assessment and liability rules, but it does not create a proven nationwide entitlement to an equal standard of surroundings. Air pollution risks arise from dust, waste burning, diesel and generator use and damaged infrastructure. Law No. 50 and Resolution No. 67 provide for emission limits, environmental monitoring, inspections and sanctions, but current nationwide monitoring stations, public time series and dependable complaint routes have not been established in the available evidence. Noise protection is also provided for in law through maximum limits, mitigation rules and sanctions, yet local measurement and enforcement data remain limited. Public spaces, gardens and parks are often damaged in conflict-affected cities. Projects in Aleppo, Homs and Deir ez-Zor have used community consultations, safer access, lighting, paving and barrier-reducing works. Participation may involve municipalities, local councils, neighbourhood or village committees, civil-society organisations and community representatives. It is usually linked to a specific recovery or public-space project rather than a guaranteed nationwide platform. Women, children, young people, older people, internally displaced people and people with disabilities may be included in consultations, but actual access differs by place. Explosive ordnance, including unexploded devices, mines, cluster munitions and improvised explosive devices, affects urban, rural, agricultural and grazing areas. The National Mine Action Centre, UNMAS, humanitarian organisations and local authorities provide risk education, surveys, clearance and victim assistance where access allows. From 8 December 2024 to 31 December 2025, more than 920 incidents caused 607 deaths and 1,070 injuries according to the supplied research, with Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo and Idlib among the most affected areas. People should avoid suspected areas and follow local warnings; residents are not required to clear contaminated land themselves. Recovery is moving from emergency aid towards early recovery, resilience and reconstruction, but progress is uneven. The 2026 recovery framework includes integration in host communities and areas of return, while UN-Habitat reports city profiles, recovery plans and area-based projects. Safe and sustainable return depends on functioning water, electricity, sanitation, roads, waste services, public spaces and explosive-ordnance clearance. Reconstruction needs are estimated at more than USD 200 billion, so funding gaps and project dependence will continue to affect the quality and timing of local improvements.