Tel Tamr farmers and households grapple with chronic water shortages and quality concerns, according to latest REACH report

TEL TAMR, North and East Syria — A new SocioEconomic Water Survey (SEWS) of Tel Tamr, North and East Syria, conducted in September 2024 and April 2025, respectively dry and wet seasons, paints a stark picture of pervasive water insecurity among both farming and household communities. Thirteen years of conflict, intensifying drought, and degrading infrastructure have combined to leave residents routinely struggling for irrigation and drinking water — even when seasonal rains arrive. 

Groundwater in Retreat 

Across both survey rounds conducted by REACH — a humanitarian initiative that provides detailed data and analysis in crisis, disaster, and displacement settings — virtually every farmer reported barriers to accessing water. In the dry season, 93 percent of growers named high fuel and electricity costs for pumps as their chief obstacle. By the wet season, that figure rose to 100 percent, with 89 percent additionally citing deficient rainfall and drought conditions. Over the past two decades, 82 percent of farmers have witnessed a decline in groundwater levels, and 28 percent have noted rising salinity or sedimentation — prompting nearly one in three to abandon particular crops altogether. 

Shifting Perceptions of Sufficiency 

Contrary to expectations, farmers felt water sufficiency worsen when the rains came. In September 2024, 57 percent judged their water supplies “mostly” or “completely” adequate. However, by April 2025, only 24 percent felt the same, with 69 percent deeming supplies “mostly insufficient.” Winter wheat, eggplant, tomato, barley, and cucumber producers alike reported sharp drops in perceived sufficiency, underscoring that unmet assumptions of rainfall support — not cropspecific needs — drove dissatisfaction. 

Household Water Insecurity: A YearRound Crisis 

Water woes extend beyond the fields. Nearly all households surveyed — 98 percent in the wet season and 93 percent in the dry — struggled to access sufficient drinking water. Using the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale, researchers found that 55 percent of households felt waterinsecure during the wet season, up from 42 percent in the dry. Families described disrupted daily routines, missed hygiene rituals, and mounting stress, signaling systemic failings in the local distribution network rather than mere seasonal scarcity. 

Coping Strategies and Their Limits 

Facing scarcity, 83 percent of farmers in the dry season and 87 percent in the wet adopted waterconservation tactics. In drier months, nearly 40 percent resorted to abandoning fields altogether, while in wetter months more than half cut irrigation volumes and a third adjusted timing to reduce evaporation. Quality issues likewise triggered responses: 54 percent of wetseason farmers applied fertilizers to offset high salinity, and 21 percent switched to hardier crops — measures that raise input costs and fail to stem aquifer decline. 

Energy, Infrastructure, and Affordability 

When asked about solutions, farmers overwhelmingly pointed to cheaper fuel and electricity for pumps (around 47 percent) and the adoption of renewables (up to 52 percent), alongside calls for improved water infrastructure (59 percent in the wet season). Yet, 95–98 percent admitted they lacked the financial capacity to implement such measures, highlighting a critical gap between technical fixes and economic reality. 

Looking Ahead: Integrated Management Needed 

The REACH analysis warns that simply providing subsidized energy risks accelerating groundwater depletion unless paired with sustainable watermanagement practices. “Renewable pumps without aquiferrehabilitation and better distribution can worsen the crisis,” says a waterpolicy expert. The SEWS pilot underscores the urgent need for donorbacked investments that marry affordable energy, infrastructure upgrades, and communityled groundwater management to secure Tel Tamr’s water future.