AANES calls on Wadi al-Nasara to curb arson-related fires
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) on Thursday called on residents of Wadi al-Nasara, in the western countryside of Homs, to strengthen fire-prevention measures amid increasing reports of suspected arson in the area.
The appeal came in a statement issued by the AANES Environment Board, which warned that the recent forest fires in Wadi al-Nasara, especially those believed to have been deliberately set, represent a “serious existential threat to the environment and biodiversity in the region.”
The statement stressed that preventing fires requires cooperation between residents, local authorities, and civil society groups to monitor forests and agricultural lands and to immediately report suspicious activities.
The AANES also called on international environmental organizations and the broader international community to support afforestation programs, rehabilitate burned land, and provide advanced equipment and expertise to strengthen local firefighting capacities and limit the spread of wildfires.
In recent years, the AANES Environment Board has launched multiple initiatives across northeast Syria, including tree-planting campaigns, anti-desertification projects, and community awareness programs on environmental protection. These efforts aim to preserve biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change and man-made destruction on fragile ecosystems.
Wadi al-Nasara, home to diverse communities and well-known for its dense forests and agricultural lands, has witnessed repeated summer fires in recent years, raising concern among local residents and environmental groups over long-term ecological damage.