Jordan and Syria agree to share Yarmouk River water, address wells issue
The agreement was reached during meetings of the Jordanian-Syrian technical committee held at the Wihdeh Dam site on the Jordanian side. The talks were led by Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority, Eng. Hisham Al-Hayasa, and Syria's Assistant Minister of Water Resources, Eng. Osama Abu Zaid.
Breakthrough in unresolved water issues
Al-Hayasa described the meetings as "constructive and fruitful," emphasizing the clear commitment from both sides to resolving long-standing water-related issues. He noted that the signed protocol would positively impact Jordan's water sector, particularly irrigation and drinking water supplies.
Syria's delegation also demonstrated a 'notable and tangible' level of cooperation, with several key agreements reached:
Revisiting the 1987 water treaty: Syria expressed readiness to reexamine the historic 1987 water-sharing agreement to align it with current hydrological realities, including rainfall and water flow data, to establish new fair distribution ratios.
Regulating wells and dams: Both sides agreed to assess the status of wells and dams in southern Syria and take appropriate actions to ensure mutual interests are protected.
Data sharing and transparency: A joint monitoring system will be established in the Yarmouk Basin to enable continuous and transparent exchange of water-related data between the two countries.
Future cooperation and water supply
The discussions also opened the door to future cooperation, with Jordan presenting a study on potential cloud seeding projects in the basin to enhance rainfall and increase water availability.
In a significant gesture, Syria agreed to study the possibility of providing Jordan with additional water supplies this summer to help offset drinking water shortages.
The technical committees will continue talks in a follow-up meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Damascus to implement the outcomes of this agreement.
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