As the ones who inherited this planet, we must preserve the rights of future generations in the non-renewable energies of the planet. From here came the idea of sustainability. This idea is definitely not a priority for countries that suffer from harsh conditions such as Syria, as environmental problems generally come last in the list of priorities. However, since environmental problems are among the most urgent and dangerous problems of the current century, they have been included in the sustainable development goals in Syria. The seventh of the sustainable development goals in Syria states: Securing clean and renewable energy at reasonable prices.
There are many questions that come to mind regarding clean energy, such as the following:
We will answer all of these questions.
Clean and renewable energy is the one that does not harm the environment. It is also renewable and inexhaustible, unlike most current energy sources such as fossil fuels, and gas that is subject to depletion in the future. The most common sources of clean energy are water, wind, and solar energy. Some countries are also trying to extract clean energy from the Earth’s core.¹
Applicable clean energy sources in Syria include Solar, wind, and hydroelectric energies. But the problem is that the process of turning to rely on these energies is a very expensive one. So providing them at affordable rates was part of the goal. In view of the great cost of turning to renewable energy, it had to be accomplished in gradual steps and over many years, and this is what Syria is trying to do.
All over the world, there are some people who are questioning the importance of environmental problems and the investments directed toward solving these problems. In Syria in particular, these doubts abound because they believe that there are more important and deserving issues to invest in, such as the trend towards reconstruction. Therefore, it is necessary to note the need to invest in clean and renewable energy, and the size of the environmental problem in Syria.
Syria, like other countries in the world, is suffering from global warming and climate change, which is increasing every year. The director of the “FAO ” (Food and Agriculture Organization) office in Syria also stated that the Syrian environment is suffering greatly from a natural phenomenon represented in the increasing droughts in large areas of the country, especially the central regions of the Badia. The environment is also suffering from effects related to human activities, such as unregulated hunting, logging, wasting water resources, toxic gas emissions from factories, and many other practices that harm the environment. Part of these problems arise in the loss of biodiversity, the loss of natural habitats, the depletion of natural resources, and some agricultural practices that are harmful to the environment.²
In addition to the environmental problems that the whole world suffers from, such as global warming caused by gaseous emissions that are usually caused by the extraction and use of non-renewable energy around the world. The Syrian war in 2011 played a major role in exacerbating the environmental problems that the country suffers from. New problems arose, such as the overuse of natural resources, deforestation, and the use of forests for heating in light of the lack of fuel. In addition to the unplanned overuse of groundwater, as well as pollution resulting from illegal oil refining operations that led to groundwater pollution. Finally, pollution from mines and unexploded remnants of war.²
We can conclude from the things mentioned above that the problems which threaten the environment in Syria are many, and of course, they cannot all be solved by using clean and renewable energy, but it is an important step that can solve a large part of the environmental crisis, reducing the gas emissions that cause global warming, and reducing water and air pollution.
We all have to realize that environmental problems affect our lives and the lives of future generations. As the problems and risks associated with this deterioration resulting from climate change play a major challenge in the process of sustainable development and the achievement of its goals. This is because of its direct impact on the means of life and human health.²
In addition, the trend towards solving environmental problems and investing in clean energy has many positive side effects, such as providing new job opportunities and solving many service problems in our society, especially the electricity problem in light of fuel shortage. We can say, then, that the trend towards clean energy and providing it at reasonable prices will produce positive results on all levels.
Although there is still a long way to achieve this goal, the efforts made to secure clean energy in Syria so far cannot be denied. In light of the Syrian war, the electricity sector was one of the most affected sectors, as many power plants were damaged. In addition to the lack of fuel needed to operate these stations, which resulted in the following: Syria is currently suffering from an electricity crisis.
In these circumstances, Syria found a way to start over, relying on clean energy in order to solve the electrical and environmental crises. Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous stated, “The process of rehabilitation and modernization of the sector should not be limited to returning to the situation it was before the war, but rather work should be done to rebuild the sector according to new and modern foundations that keep pace with the global developments that this sector is witnessing in accordance with the possible limits, especially in regard to clean electric energies and renewable energy.
Based on this goal, many projects related to the provision of electricity from photovoltaic energy are currently being worked on. The Syrian Minister of Electricity explained that his ministry has drawn up a plan to add 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy sources by 2030. Work is also underway to implement photovoltaic power plants in various Syrian cities, including Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus, with the aim of supplying industrial cities.³ These projects are considered a promising beginning to achieve this sustainable development goal.
In order to support all projects that aim to adopt clean energy, whether in the domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural or service sectors, the Syrian Presidency issued a law for the creation of a fund to support the use of renewable energies and raise energy efficiency with the aim of contributing to the expansion and support of renewable energy projects.
The fund provides interest-free loans to support projects related to clean energy in all sectors, as it will eventually reduce the consumption of oil derivatives.⁴ This fund also flows into the second part of this goal; it will provide the possible financial facilities to obtain clean energy at affordable prices. All these steps and projects show the extent of Syria’s interest in relying on clean energy and achieving this goal. They are also promising steps towards a country that relies on clean and renewable energy.
Environmental problems are no less important than other problems faced by Syrian society, and each member of society has an important role to play in preserving the environment, as the real impact begins with simple steps taken by each individual, such as regulating the consumption of plastic, orderly purchase, not overconsumption, in addition to recycling.
The Uplifting Syrian Women initiative encourages all individuals to reduce practices that harm the environment and preserve all resources allocated to this goal, hoping to achieve this goal and live in a safe and suitable society for all.
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References:
[1] ALCSE
[2] Alahed News
[3] Attaqa
[4] Attaqa