International Water Forum begins in northeast Syria
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The International Water Forum in North and East Syria, sponsored by the local administration and the Environment Directorate in Jazira with the participation of the University of Rojava and the Euphrates Center for Studies, began on Monday.
Dozens of foreign delegates, officials from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and officials from international and local organizations as well as human rights organizations participated in the forum.
The forum began with a speech by the preparatory committee for the forum and a speech from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria read by Berivan Khaled and Abdel Hamid Mahbash, the co-chairs of the AANES Executive Council.
Former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner also gave a speech on the effects of the water crisis caused by the Turkey during its war against Syria, and its effects on local residents.
The forum will continue on Monday and Tuesday according to the scheduled program to highlight international laws, conventions, and agreements on water.
The forum will also address bilateral treaties and conventions signed between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq regarding the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates.
The forum will also discuss the practices of the Turkish state which create water crises in the region, as well as reports from international organizations and the politicization of the water.
The environmental impacts of the water crisis in the region are scheduled for tomorrow.