February 7, 2022 - The availability and quality of water is one of the main ways many populations feel the impact of climate change. Water availability is becoming less predictable in many places, and shortages in water supply negatively affect health and productivity in some regions. Direct access to sustainable water and sanitation services will be a critical climate change mitigation strategy for the years to come.

In Jarablus, a small city in northern Syria situated close to the Euphrates River whose population has greatly increased with the arrival of displaced persons, the issue of water safety has been an increasing concern.  Jarablus Cultural Forum, supported by Baytna, has been working to raise awareness on this and other local community issues, through mobilization and advocacy campaigns.

"It was sad to see that the great Euphrates River that we never dared to come close to in the past, for fear of drowning, is now almost dry and we can cross it by foot in some places,” lamented Hammoud Sheikhani, head of the Forum.  When the water level reached its lowest point in the Euphrates River, the water stopped flowing to the camps around the city, and to the city neighborhoods and houses.

That is when the “Save Every Water Drop” initiative was launched. Its goals are to increase awareness of this problem among citizens, correct the misuse of rationing and negligence, address the absence of oversight, and establish communication channels between citizens and the water office to convey complaints.

The initiative’s organizers began holding gatherings in coordination with the local council in the city hall. The meetings brought all the city components together: the local community of residents (new and old), shop owners, farm owners, car-wash owners, and representatives from the Directorate of Education. They also asked local imams to talk about the water issue during the Friday sermons at their mosques.

The awareness campaign included spreading 1,000 brochures, flyers, and street signs over the city, with messages such as "when you save water, you save a life.” They also spread the word through the schools and dedicating some classes to talk about water preservation with the children. In addition, neighborhoods leaders formed meetings with the people in their areas to ask them to commit to paying the water fees, and to inform the water company employees about any malfunctions in the tools or water pipes so that the water is not wasted.

Two months after its launch, Sheikhani says the campaign is bearing fruit. Reports from the water provider show there is now less water usage within the city neighborhoods targeted by the awareness campaign, and more calls received from residents asking for help fixing damaged water pipes. More importantly, more people are now paying their water fees, which helps bringing water back to the camps.

For Sheikhani, this campaign was successful on multiple levels: “Aside from all the good this initiative has brought on the city in terms of water supply, it was great seeing the youth participate in the campaign and have a say about what concerns their city. For the first time, they were able to sit with the stakeholders and experience the decision-making process, work on a plan, and spread the awareness."