Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks

Session title: Humanitarians building a waste water treatment plant in Syria, good plan?

17 Mar 25 10:00-11:00 UTC+1

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SessionAbstract

The world was turned upside down in a matter one single weekend for all Syrians in country as well as abroad. Several groups, most notably HTS, took the opportunity of a weak government and marched from northwest Syria all the way to Damascus in just a few days. A 13 year old conflict suddenly turned a corner with Assad fleeing the country, allowing HTS to take control.

Over the past period, the humanitarian sector has played taken up responsibilities for several public services in the absence of effective government. One such example is the building of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) near to the city of Idlib. Clearly, this surpasses the normal horizon at which humanitarian organizations work: generally, a WWTP is built to last 30-50 years. This project is a strategic intervention that aims to sustainably manage wastewater, protect groundwater resources, and support farmers with clean irrigation water, contributing to improved livelihoods and food security of surrounding communities. The project marks a new territory for humanitarian organizations, moving deep into the often-discussed humanitarian-development nexus.

This session will show how this unique project has come into being, provide the context in which it has been able to be realized and discuss its effectiveness. Finally it moves on the question at hand, looking at the experience so far, is this a modality that can be considered a success? Should be want more? Are these the actors we should do that with?

The session is open to anyone working on WASH in humanitarian contexts.

Expected outcomes:

Case study of development in a country with an active conflict.
Explore how a project, initiated during an emergency response, could serve as a strong example of how such initiatives can be extended and adapted for long-term development contexts and can operate on cost-recovery basis.
Discussing the need for humanitarian organizations to take a more active role in filling the gap of long-term investment in WASH infrastructure.
Support and financing modalities required to build infrastructure which safes lives indirectly rather than directly.
Recommendations for working across humanitarian/development spheres shared.