Jordan and Syria agree to share Yarmouk River water, address wells issue

In what officials described as a "milestone" in bilateral water relations, Jordan and Syria signed an official meeting protocol on Tuesday that ensures the fair distribution of water from the Yarmouk River Basin and addresses the issue of unregulated wells in southern Syria.

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.