Nature in Syria

Syria's natural landscapes range from Mediterranean coastal wetlands and wooded coastal mountains to the Anti-Lebanon and Qalamoun ranges, the Euphrates, Khabur, Orontes and Yarmouk valleys, Al-Jazira, oases, seasonal wetlands, salt lakes and desert areas. Al-Badia covers about 55% of the country and supports extensive sheep, goat and camel grazing, groundwater use, firewood collection, oasis farming and salt production. Forests provide habitat, erosion and flood control, grazing, firewood, non-wood products and recreation. Agriculture accounted for about 86–89% of total water use in 2019, while private wells and solar pumps contribute to falling groundwater levels. Protected natural areas are managed through a combination of national authorities, local administrative units, forest offices and international or civil-society partners. The Ministry of Local Administration and Environment has responsibilities for environmental monitoring, biodiversity, nature reserves, environmental impact assessment and environmental information. The Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, particularly its forestry directorate and local forest units, handles forest-related permissions and management. The Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife, or SSCW, is a specialist nongovernmental organisation involved in conservation work. There is no verified nationwide system of uniform national parks, nature-tourism services or citizen-science access. The World Database on Protected Areas listed 19 Syrian protected areas in August 2026, but its records use point locations rather than reliable boundaries or areas. An older Convention on Biological Diversity report recorded 22 declared protected areas, so published totals and delimitations do not fully agree. Sabkhat al-Jabbul Nature Reserve near Aleppo is Syria's one listed Ramsar site, meaning a wetland recognised under the international Ramsar Convention, and covers 10,000 hectares. It is also an important waterbird, breeding and stopover site; the Greater Flamingo population there exceeds 1% of the global population. The site is affected by salt production, farming, livestock grazing, fishing and waterbird hunting, while irrigation return flows and dams alter water levels and salinity. Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, or IBAs, identify about 23 sites covering roughly 11,435 square kilometres, including Jabbul, the Euphrates and Khabur wetlands, coastal wetlands, Jabal Abd al-Aziz and parts of Palmyra and Al-Badia. Syria supports migratory and resident species including Greater Flamingos, waterfowl, the White-headed Duck, Marbled Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Sociable Lapwing, Saker Falcon, Syrian Serin, gazelles and oryx. The Northern Bald Ibis had its last known wild colony near Palmyra, with the last reported record in 2015; it is probably functionally extinct in the wild, although security conditions have left monitoring incomplete. A 2025 mammal checklist updated species taxonomy and distribution information. These records should therefore be read together with the limits of field access and monitoring. Forest Law 39/2023 treats state and private forests as protected assets. Cutting wood in state forests is prohibited, and protection and restoration duties apply. The competent authority may establish forest reserves, forest parks and botanical gardens. Forestry units issue permissions for uses such as grazing, collection, clearing or other regulated activities. Local grazing access may be licensed according to carrying capacity and season. Grazing is prohibited for 15 years in fire-damaged forests and for 10 years in young plantations, as well as in reserves, forest parks, botanical gardens and protected zones. Law 12/2012 provides a wider framework for environmental monitoring, biodiversity, nature reserves, environmental impact assessment, environmental standards, environmental data and public information; a revision was announced as ongoing in 2026. Implementation is uneven because administration, financing, security conditions and environmental data are fragmented. Nature-related pressures include prolonged drought, higher temperatures, desertification, soil and rangeland loss, sand and dust storms, forest and field fires, flash floods, and water or soil contamination. More than 60% of farmland is reported to face desertification risk, around 30% of water sources are reported as contaminated, and the forest share has fallen from about 32% in the twentieth century to below 3% according to UNCCA data. Conflicts arise between grazing security and carrying capacity, firewood collection and forest protection, irrigation and river or groundwater conservation, and salt extraction, fishing or hunting and wetland protection. Reconstruction and infrastructure can also conflict with protected-area boundaries. Nature-based recreation such as hiking, birdwatching and landscape or ecotourism is possible in principle in coastal, mountain, wetland, Euphrates and Al-Badia areas. Access depends on the site, security conditions, local permissions and de facto authorities; there is no reliably documented national visitor, booking or fee system. Seasonal bird migration, grazing permissions and fire risk can change conditions. Check the responsible local authority or forestry unit before visiting, and do not enter protected, fire-affected or restricted areas without the required permission. Nature education exists through awareness campaigns, age-group programmes, workshops and projects with authorities, universities, specialist institutions, UN agencies and NGOs, but a consistent nationwide teaching and access structure has not been established.