Protection of the Figeh Spring System

The Figeh Spring System accounts for approx. 60 % of the water supply of Damascus. Rapid population growth causes an increasing water demand giving way to overexploitation of the spring system and a notorious decay of its quality.

The Figeh Spring has a strong flow rate fluctuation. Summer flow rates do not provide enough water to meet the Damascus City demand. To mitigate seasonal fluctuations, additional wells have been installed in the spring area in order to artificially increase the flow rate. This way overexploitation changed groundwater flow patterns and resulted in sudden infiltration of contaminated water from unsewered domestic waste water in the Barada Valley. This has been a threat to the water supply during the dry season since late 2006.

Securing safe and sustainable water supply for the Syrian capital poses a major public administration challenge that can only be met with a comprehensive strategy to optimize water usage. This strategy has to include resource management and protection, infrastructure development and demand management.

A cornerstone is the abstraction management of the groundwater resources of the Figeh Spring System in order to achieve the highest sustainable yields while maintaining high water quality standards.