Abd Al-Rahman’s family has farmed the same plot of land in the Euphrates River Valley for generations. Farming has supported his family for years and is his community’s main source of income.
With little annual rainfall, Abd Al-Rahman and others farming in the valley have historically relied on irrigation pumping stations along the Euphrates River to water their crops.
“We had unlimited access to water,” said Abd Al-Rahman, discussing irrigation in years past. “Water ran 24 hours a day.”
But after a decade of crisis in Syria, opportunities to farm in the region were literally drying up. As rainfall became more erratic, the river levels decreased, and most of the irrigation pumping stations were damaged or destroyed.
“The war brought chaos and eventually the land became impossible to farm,” explained Abd Al-Rahman. “It was a complete disaster—the land became more desert-like.”
A decade of conflict also destroyed the region’s electrical infrastructure, leaving its irrigation pumping stations to rely on diesel-fueled generators. For farmers, however, paying for diesel-fueled generators to pump water through canals or for trucks to transport water to their farms were inconsistent and expensive options. The increased water costs cut into farmers’ already low earnings—making it financially challenging to continue farming at all.
To improve farmers’ ability to effectively irrigate their crops, USAID rehabilitated the local electrical infrastructure and connected seven irrigation pumping stations to the power grid, providing access to reliable electricity.
Although the recent decline of the Euphrates River’s water level, due to low seasonal rainfall and drought, cut into the region’s hydroelectric power production, these irrigation pumping stations are still powered by grid electricity every other day.
The irrigation stations now pump enough water to irrigate approximately 70 square kilometers of farmland, supporting the livelihoods of approximately 12,035 farmers and laborers, and their families.
“Before this project I was really suffering—I could only plant a small section of my land,” explained Abd Al-Rahman. “In a matter of months, I have been able to replant 70 percent of the land I used before the war.”
[[nid:430501]]
Despite the Euphrates Rivers’ low levels, farmers have continued irrigating farmland, but are now scheduling their irrigation hours to ensure all farmers have equitable access to water.
With reliable water access, farmers are also diversifying their crops and expanding their growing season—creating new earning potential.
“In addition to what I regularly planted, I’ve been able to add corn, cotton, sesame, sesbania, and a variety of herbs,” said Abd Al-Rahman. “Before, we didn’t have the irrigation to grow these in the summer.”
Given Deir ez-Zour’s long agricultural traditions, reviving the sector—while rebuilding effective essential services and ensuring inclusive and transparent governance—will be key to fostering a safe and stable future for the community.
*All names have been changed.
