Syria’s deforestation has become a structural threat, not a background issue.
Data show Syria lost 30,000 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024—about 29% of its forests. Losses are most severe in Latakia, Hama, and Idlib, where studies report declines of 25–35%.
Forests that once shielded the land from drought, erosion, and landslides now leave terrain exposed to heat, flash floods, and hunger. Climate change and weak governance are accelerating the decline. Environmental degradation is reshaping Syria’s ecology, economy, and stability.
Can the state contain a crisis that is now eroding both land and social cohesion?
Full analysis in our latest issue.