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AMMAN — Jordan and Syria have agreed to share water resources equitably following technical-level discussions that concluded with a signed protocol at the Wihdeh Dam, according to Ministry of Water and Irrigation spokesperson Omar Salameh.
In remarks to The Jordan Times on Tuesday, Salameh said the joint Jordanian-Syrian technical water committee convened at the Wihdeh Dam, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fair water distribution from the Yarmouk River Basin. The agreement aims to safeguard the rights of both countries and improve regional cooperation on water management.
“Both sides reached a consensus on the importance of equitable water distribution that serves the interests of both nations,” Salameh said.
Salameh said that Syria has shown readiness to address the issue of illegally drilled wells over recent years, adding that a framework for resolving the matter is expected to be finalized during a forthcoming meeting in Damascus, scheduled for next Tuesday.
He said that Jordan plans to present a study on cloud seeding in the Yarmouk Basin, aimed at bolstering regional water resources.
Salameh also said that the Syrian delegation also expressed interest in preserving the water share allocated to Jordan’s the Wihdeh Dam. Discussions included the possibility of Syria providing Jordan with additional water supplies to mitigate shortages during the summer months.
The technical meetings were co-chaired by Hisham Hisa, secretary-general of the Jordan Valley Authority and head of the Jordanian delegation, and Osama Abu Zeid, assistant Syrian Minister of Energy for Water Resources Affairs.
A Water Ministry statement described the talks as “constructive and fruitful,” saying the return to regular dialogue marks a “qualitative shift” in bilateral water relations.
“We are seeing serious efforts to resolve outstanding issues that directly affect irrigation and drinking water supplies in Jordan,” he said.
Abu Zeid confirmed Syria’s readiness to revisit the 1987 bilateral water-sharing agreement, stressing the need for updated hydrological studies to determine equitable distribution ratios and ensure consistent inflow to the Wihdeh Dam.
With the technical talks were underway, Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Saud received on Tuesday Abu Zeid, and head of the Syrian technical water committee, the Jordan news agency, Petra, reported.
During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the operations of water systems, dam safety procedures, and maintenance efforts in various governorates.
The technical discussions followed a broader ministerial-level meeting in Amman, where Abu Saud and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh met with Syrian Minister of Energy Mohammad Bashir. Talks focused on expanding cooperation in the fields of water and energy, in line with the directives of both countries’ leaderships.
According to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the meeting underscored the importance of transparency and coordination moving forward, with senior technical officials from both sides in attendance.
The talks comes after years of tension over Syria’s repeated breaches of water-sharing agreements, most notably regarding the Yarmouk River, the Jordan River’s largest tributary, which originates in southwestern Syria.
In a previous interview with The Jordan Times, former water minister Hazim El Naser said that Syria had constructed 49 dams, nearly double the number permitted under the 1987 amendment, significantly reducing the flow of water to Jordan.
“The previous regime ignored the agreement,” El Naser said. “This has caused an annual loss of 180 to 200 million cubic meters of water for Jordan — nearly equivalent to the full capacity of the National Water Carrier Project.”
According to the United Nations Treaty Series, Jordan and Syria initially signed a joint agreement in 1953 to manage the Yarmouk River Basin, aiming to promote cooperation and irrigation development. The agreement was amended in 1987 to include detailed provisions for the construction and operation of the the Wihdeh Dam.
