The Syrian Refugees Resulted from Environmental Issues:

A severe drought, spanning between the years of 2006 and 2011, has proved to be
a nightmare-like experience for Syrian citizens. Due to the lack of water, there has been
increasing difficulty when it comes to growing crops. This has a domino affect: The
World Food Program is currently providing food aid to over 300,000 Syrians in the
countrys northeast, which is the epicenter of agricultural production (Stokes). This
inability to farm causes chain reactions in that livestock cannot survive and people are
starving; food is hard to come by. Places in Syria that had once been know as farming
towns are now becoming depleted of crops. This drought has led to the conflict that has
caused millions of Syrians to be internally displaced and even flee from their country.
It can be noticed that several years ago the Orontes River, abundant with fish, was
a vast space for the steady flow of sparkling blue water. This large water source provided
for the green grass of the Syrian plains. However, the river is slowly drying up and a
barren dessert is becoming all that is left. This drought is partly to blame for the
government's irresponsibly when it comes to preserving the water source. The
government is so concerned about becoming a strong exporter of wheat and cotton that it
gives money to farmers to grow these products. This inevitably causes the increased
production of the crops. Since both wheat and cotton require a large amount of water in
order to grow, the governments decision to subsidize them has led to the drought. The
Syrian government is allowing this farming in already dry areas, and now there is close to
no water left.
It might come as a surprise that there is a link between the serious drought and the
conflict that is occurring in Syria. The New York Times suggests that the drought is
causing tensions to rise and deepening the feelings of hatred that the public harbor
towards their president. This theory is further support when, Some social scientists,
policy makers and others have previously suggested that the drought played a role in the
Syrian unrest, and the researchers addressed this as well, saying the drought had a
catalytic effect (Fountain). The water shortage has only magnified the stresses of Syrian
citizens; not only do they face the inability to grow crops and raise livestock, but they
also are suppressed by a cold-hearted dictator. The struggles that stem from the drought
have the effect of intensifying feelings of frustration, and ultimately have led to the
uprisings and refugees. In the words of Richard Seager, Were saying that added to
all the other stressors, it helped kick things over the threshold into open conflict
(Brenna). Although political disagreements are mainly instigating the Syrian crisis, it is
widely accepted that the drought is as well.
As a citizen of the United States, someone who does not even have first hand
experience with the trouble in Syria, I am extremely angered by the Syrian government. I
can only imagine the emotions of the citizens as they struggle to survive in their war-
stricken country. I question the presidents capability of running a country; in my opinion
he should be immediately impeached from office. The fact that he is subsidizing wheat
and cotton, when there is already a shortage of water, proves to me that he lacks the
experience and knowledge necessary to make decisions for a country. Aside from climate
change, his decision is single handedly contributing to the lack of water in Syria. With
little research I have discovered that neighboring countries, such as Yemen, have
previously experienced a shortage of water. Any leader should have foreseen this drought
and took precautions in an attempt to stop it.

Citations:

1. Brenna, Lorenzo. "Syria, the environmental crisis behind the civil war." LifeGate.
N.p., 15 Sept. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
2. Fountain, Henry. "Researchers Link Syrian Conflict to a Drought Made Worse by
Climate Change." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Mar. 2015. Web.
05 Mar. 2017.
3. Oweis, Khaled Yacoub. "Water crisis uproots Syrian farmers." Reuters. N.p., 27
July 2009. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
4. Rucker, Stuart. "The Effect of Climate Change on Wars and Forced Migration."
Sustain. N.p., 11 Sept. 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
5. Stokes, Elaisha. "The Drought That Preceded Syria's Civil War Was Likely the
Worst in 900 Years." VICE News. N.p., 03 Mar. 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.