The north-eastern Syria (muhafaza of Raqqa, Deir ez Zor and Hassakeh) is a strategic agricultural region to Syria. It provides 80% of cotton production and 50 to 60% of wheat. Agriculture is the main source of income for more than 50% of the population and the engine of regional economic activity. Since the early 2000's, agriculture in the North East suffers from a lack of water resources, due to overexploitation and several successive droughts. The modernization of irrigation launched in 2005 by the Syrian government is far behind in the region despite the acuteness of the problem. This is largely explained by the predatory attitude of the bureaucracy and the strategy of political control of the region, implemented by the Syrian regime, which go against a real development process
