The provided text examines the complex interplay of factors that led to the devastating 2006-2010 drought in Syria and its subsequent role as a catalyst for the Syrian Civil War. It highlights how anthropogenic climate change contributed to long-term aridification, while natural climate variability influenced the drought's immediate severity. The sources also emphasize the profound impact of Syria's unsustainable domestic water and agricultural policies, coupled with transboundary water stress from Turkey's upstream damming of the Euphrates River, which manufactured extreme vulnerability. Finally, the text details the resulting agricultural collapse, mass internal displacement, and the Assad regime's inadequate and repressive response, which collectively transformed an environmental crisis into a widespread conflict.
This page was created on: August 12, 2025