Solar energy has offered a lifeline for the farmers amid drought and power shortages, but some warn the boom also has environmental costs in the once-fertile region.
The father of three said he needs a reliable power supply to pump groundwater around 60 metres deep now - compared to just 30 metres a few years back. The war has battered the country's infrastructure and industry, and the state barely supplies a few hours of electricity per day.Farmers in the now Kurdish-held region used to rely on state electricity and subsidised generator fuel for water pumps and irrigation, but power outages and rising fuel costs have compounded the climate-related challenges.
Between 2011 and 2021, Syria's state electricity production"dropped significantly to almost 57%" and power generation capacity plunged to 65%, according to a 2022 United Nations report.Around 10km from Al-Haddadiya, farmer Hamid al-Awda began using solar power six years ago."Most people started selling their generators and replacing them with solar energy," said Awda.