Water supply and sanitation in Syria

Water supply and sanitation in Syria
Data
Water coverage (broad definition)Rural 80% (2006) urban 94% (2006)
Sanitation coverage (broad definition)Rural 74% (2002) urban 98% (2002)
Share of tax-financingHigh
Share of external financingLow
Institutions
National water and sanitation companyNone
Water and sanitation regulatorMinistry of Water Resources
Responsibility for policy settingMinistry of Water Resources
Sector lawLaw No. 55

Syria is a semi-arid country with scarce water resources. The largest water-consuming sector in Syria is agriculture. Domestic water use is only about 9% of total water use.

A big challenge for Syria is its high population growth, with a rapidly increasing demand for urban and industrial water. In 2006, the population of Syria was 19.4 million with a growth rate of 2.7%.