As
the COP28 climate conference wrapped up in the United Arab Emirates last week,
international observers were focused on the
outcome of the talks, with good reason. The fate of
humanity hangs in the balance.
اضافة اعلان
But
just off stage, regional analysts were absorbed in a related issue that will
hinder efforts to implement any plan to save the planet. Call it the
geopolitics of climate action, and
Syria was exhibit A.
With
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad
absent from the proceedings, Prime Minister Hussein Arnous was tasked to lead the
delegation in Dubai. Syrian officials underscored their primary focus was on
securing funding for climate adaptation in the war-torn country, a concern
other conflict-ridden states share.
While
it IS imperative to address Syria's environmental challenges, it is crucial to
consider them in the wider context. Channeling climate funds to a regime that
has
exacerbated old environmental woes while
creating new ones will undermine efforts to hold
those responsible to account. Worse, it creates an opportunity for climate
funds to be misused.
The
regime's extensively documented corruption and
manipulation of aid and development funding pose a significant risk to mitigation efforts. Any climate
funding allocated to Syria must come with assurances that the money won’t be
redirected.
For
more than 12 agonizing years, the Syrian conflict has
inflicted brutal violence,
economic turmoil, and widespread suffering. Concurrently, recent years have
brought a surge in extreme weather events in Syria – scorching temperatures,
devastating wildfires, relentless droughts, and ceaseless sandstorms.
While it IS imperative to address Syria's environmental challenges, it is crucial to consider them in the wider context. Channeling climate funds to a regime that has exacerbated old environmental woes while creating new ones will undermine efforts to hold those responsible to account. Worse, it creates an opportunity for climate funds to be misused.
These
escalating calamities, both in frequency and ferocity, have heightened Syria's
vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
Ranked 146 out of 181countries on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative index, Syria stands among the
countries most severely affected by the climate crisis. This ranking
underscores Syria’s acute vulnerability and limited resilience against the
impacts of severe weather.
However,
these dire circumstances must not eclipse the accountability of the Syrian
regime in reaching this critical juncture. For decades, the regime’s policies
directly aggravated a range of environmental challenges, including water scarcity, soil
degradation, and air pollution.
The
situation was further deteriorated following the peaceful uprising in 2011. A
November 2023 report by former International Criminal Court judge Howard
Morrison echoed these concerns,
placing blame on the Assad regime for Syria’s extensive environmental devastation.
For
instance, relentless bombing campaigns and the regime’s
repeated use of chemical weapons have added to the ecological destruction. Today, cities
remain buried under hazardous rubble that poses significant environmental and
health risks.
Morrison’s
report, which was released in the run-up to COP28, also underscores Assad’s
targeting of the oil industry. Intentional strikes have created large oil fires
and spills that ravaged cultivated land and triggered health crises, notably
increased respiratory issues among affected populations.
The
report also delineates how Assad’s war tactics have decimated clean drinking
water supplies and polluted groundwater sources. The ravages of war have also
rapidly diminished Syria’s forests, increasing flooding risks and contributing
to a steep decline in biodiversity.
Extending
climate financing to the Syrian regime would not only undermine efforts to hold
Assad accountable but also risk yielding minimal impact.
These escalating calamities, both in frequency and ferocity, have heightened Syria's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Ranked 146 out of 181 countries on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative index, Syria stands among the countries most severely affected by the climate crisis. This ranking underscores Syria’s acute vulnerability and limited resilience against the impacts of severe weather.
Syria
is not alone in this climate contradiction. Other countries in dire need of
climate adaptation and mitigation funding – Sudan, for instance – are also
embroiled in war. Indeed, climate-related challenges, like water shortages and
soil degradation, are often contributing factors to conflict.
Still,
Syria’s funding track record is particularly egregious. The regime has been
accused of selectively directing aid to loyalist areas, manipulating exchange
rates for aid transfers, and compromising procurement procedures. Furthermore,
the regime's constraints on the operational freedom of international agencies
impede independent needs assessment and monitoring, leaving these bodies
heavily reliant on data provided by regime-affiliated entities.
Even
if funders could look beyond past transgressions,
structural corruption within Syrian state institutions will complicate climate financing.
Entrenched corruption not only undermines the effectiveness of climate
financing but also detracts from essential reforms needed to address Syria's
governance challenges.
The
heightened
focus on conflict and climate at this year’s COP summit, while sorely needed, will only yield results if the
entities receiving support are properly vetted. Climate-related financing, like
any funding directed to regime-held areas, must include assurances that
mitigate corruption risks and ensure climate action without exacerbating
Syria’s existing problems.
Given
the technical and political challenges of coordinating with the Syrian regime,
climate funding to Syria should target societal and civil society structures at
the local level. These entities possess the skills and genuine interest in
improving conditions in their areas.
Engaging
directly with the Syrian regime, on the other hand, should be avoided whenever
possible. A blank check from the international community would enable Assad to
exploit yet another critical cause to secure his political survival. We’ve
already seen what Assad can do with the slightest opening of support. But this
time, the repercussions of engagement have planetary consequences.
Disclaimer:
Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Jordan News' point of view.
Read more Opinion and Analysis
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
