To Secure Drinking Water, Tishrin Dam Could Run Out of Commission
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – An administrator in the Tishrin Dam’s administration said they were seriously discussing a mechanism to stop sporadically the Tishrin Dam owing to sharp low levels of water in the lake as Turkey withholds water coming into Syria.
The dam is run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Since February 2020, Turkey has been withholding the Euphrates River water breaching the 1987 water agreement which entails Syria and Iraq had a 500 cubic meter per second. Right now, only 200 cubic meter is let in by Turkey.
Imad Ubaid, an administrator in dam’s administration says they are seriously discussing with the AANES’ Executive Council the current situation of the dam to halt it for sporadic periods. They consider to set a program prepared by the dam’s administration and concerned bodies.
Ubaid told North Press that lowering levels of water coming from Turkey has obliged the AANES to do that, adding they have a priority to secure drinking and irrigating water for people of North and East Syria.
The AANES official noted the current issue of water has impacts on the lakes, adding they are exerting efforts to save crops.
AANES’ officials have repeatedly warned of such a humanitarian catastrophe as Turkey continue to withhold the Euphrates water. Pandemics and diseases have spread.
Earlier, Ibrahim al-Mashi, a lawyer who descends from the city of Manbij, said all water-related agreements including Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (May 21, 1997) stipulates that co-riparian states have the right to watercourses.
“Not a state is allowed to withhold water or build dams unless under an international convention,” al-Mashi said.
Withholding water is a crime according to international conventions relating to regional or international watercourses, according to al-Mashi who indicated that the UN Security Council should impose sanctions on Turkey which breaches an international agreement and not only the one it signed with Iraq and Syria.