{"id":40701,"date":"2025-12-16T20:10:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T20:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/?p=40701"},"modified":"2025-12-16T20:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T20:10:10","slug":"idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the edge of his farmland in the countryside of Maaret Misrin, northwestern Syria, 52-year-old Khaled Al-Raai stands watching a dark stream flowing alongside his small orchard. For years, his village depended on a local well that once pumped up to 30 cubic metres of water per hour \u2013 enough to irrigate nearby fields and sustain entire farming seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent years, however, have been unforgiving. The well\u2019s output has dropped to around ten cubic metres per hour, while the cost of running pumps has soared beyond what most farmers can afford. Speaking plainly to <\/span>+963<\/b>, Khaled says, \u201cThis is no longer a choice \u2013 we use this water because if we don\u2019t, we lose everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Khaled never imagined he would reach the point of irrigating his crops with untreated sewage. Yet today, like many farmers across Idlib, he finds himself trapped between water scarcity, collapsing infrastructure, and rising operational costs \u2013 forces that have pushed large numbers of farmers towards the only available source of water: open sewage networks.<\/span><\/p>\n

What began as emergency solutions, Khaled explains, \u201chas become a reality that is reshaping agricultural production in the region and placing people before a complex health and food crisis \u2013 one that stretches from the fields to the dinner table.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Water Scarcity Imposes a New Reality<\/b><\/h2>\n

In the countryside of Maaret Misrin, natural irrigation canals once formed part of the area\u2019s living memory \u2013 clear water flowing year-round, nourishing crops and supplying markets in Idlib and beyond. Today, those canals have shrunk into narrow, seasonal streams barely capable of irrigating small plots. Repeated droughts over recent years have sharply lowered groundwater levels, reducing well output and forcing some wells out of service altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under these conditions, farmers have begun laying thin plastic pipes connecting their fields to open sewage channels at the edges of villages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Khaled says this improvised network has evolved into an \u201cinformal system\u201d shared by farmers in rotation, after reliance on wells became almost impossible due to operating costs and the absence of any meaningful agricultural support.<\/span><\/p>\n

Attempts by local councils to ban the use of sewage water, he adds, were unrealistic \u2013 offering no practical alternatives or replacement water sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Crisis Spreading Across Villages<\/b><\/h2>\n

The same complaints are echoed in villages such as Basnqoul, Kafr Yahmul, and Deir Hassan. Prolonged dry months this year caused unprecedented drops in well levels, while many irrigation projects failed due to electricity cuts and the high cost of running generators.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suleiman Al-Eido, a farmer from the city of Harem, told <\/span>+963<\/b> that economic pressure has pushed many farmers towards sewage water. Irrigating a single dunum with well water can cost up to 25 dollars, he explains, while sewage water is almost free.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe operate in a market where crops are already sold cheaply,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s no support, no subsidised fuel, no treatment plants. Following safe methods means guaranteed loss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Farmers, he adds, are left with an unfair equation \u2013 either lose the harvest or gamble with food quality and consumer health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fear Creeping into Civilian Homes<\/b><\/h2>\n

As reports spread about crops irrigated with unsafe water, anxiety is growing among residents. Ramiya al-Fares, 43, from Salqin, told <\/span>+963<\/b> that some vegetables now have strange smells and spoil unusually fast \u2013 signs, she believes, of contaminated irrigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

She explains that many families are still forced to buy these vegetables because they are the cheapest available, despite fears for their children\u2019s health.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re left with two bitter options,\u201d she says. \u201cEither buy cheap but questionable vegetables or stop buying them altogether. That\u2019s a choice mothers simply cannot make under these conditions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Al-Fares notes a worrying rise in cases of diarrhoea among children during the summer months. Doctors sometimes suggest a possible link to contaminated food, but the lack of confirmation leaves families living in constant uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem is no longer a secret,\u201d she adds. \u201cEveryone knows some vegetables are irrigated with unsafe water. But economic hardship leaves no room for real choice \u2013 people are forced to accept the risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Local Markets: The Most Dangerous Link<\/b><\/h2>\n

At Idlib\u2019s central wholesale market, where vegetables arrive from early morning hours, leafy greens such as parsley, mint, and lettuce stand out for their low prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trader Mohammad al-Hammoud told <\/span>+963<\/b> that much of this produce comes from Atmeh, Dana, and Sarmada \u2013 some irrigated with sewage water, others with mixed sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no authority forcing us to know the water source,\u201d he says. \u201cWe receive shipments as they come. There\u2019s no lab testing every load. Consumers want low prices, and if we don\u2019t buy the produce, another trader will. Oversight is absent \u2013 and that makes the entire food chain unsafe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read also: Drought Strikes Zabadani Plain in Syria\u2019s Damascus Countryside<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deep Health Risks<\/b><\/h2>\n

From a medical perspective, gastroenterology specialist Dr Mustafa al-Azraq told <\/span>+963<\/b> that the danger of contaminated vegetables goes beyond surface bacteria. Untreated sewage can carry viruses and pathogens that are difficult to remove through washing alone \u2013 including hepatitis A, E. coli, and parasitic worms that cling to leafy vegetables.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most serious problem, he explains, is that symptoms often appear days or even weeks later, making it difficult for patients or doctors to link illness to contaminated food.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe absence of a national system to track food-borne diseases makes the issue even more complex,\u201d he says. \u201cCases appear scattered, but in reality, they are part of a single chain that is neither recorded nor systematically analysed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Silent Threat to the Soil<\/b><\/h2>\n

Environmentally, water-monitoring expert Mohammad Rahmani from a local organisation told <\/span>+963<\/b> that using sewage water for irrigation poses a \u201csilent threat\u201d to the soil. The damage does not appear immediately but accumulates slowly over years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heavy metals such as lead, zinc, and cadmium settle into surface and deeper soil layers and do not break down over time, he explains \u2013 leading to declining soil fertility and making recovery increasingly difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

Field tests conducted in Salqin and Dana, Rahmani says, show elevated salinity and organic contamination levels, indicating widespread damage. If this irrigation pattern continues, some fields could become unusable in the coming years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Possible Solutions and Major Obstacles<\/b><\/h2>\n

Experts argue that confronting the crisis requires building small-scale treatment plants in the most affected areas, providing direct support to farmers to reduce the cost of clean water, obliging markets to disclose irrigation sources, and conducting regular product testing \u2013 alongside linking health and regulatory bodies through a shared monitoring system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet these solutions collide with fragile financial and administrative realities, as well as intense population pressure caused by displacement. Without sustainable funding and clear long-term planning, implementation remains extremely difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Idlib waits for practical answers, farmers and residents remain trapped between water scarcity, contaminated crops, and narrowing choices \u2013 while risks to public health and food security continue to grow day by day.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the edge of his farmland in the countryside of Maaret Misrin, northwestern Syria, 52-year-old Khaled Al-Raai stands watching a dark stream flowing alongside his small orchard. For years, his village depended on a local well that once pumped up to 30 cubic metres of water per hour \u2013 enough to irrigate nearby fields and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":40702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"0","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"g:i a d\/m\/Y","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"5","zoom_button_in_step":"4","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Water scarcity is pushing farmers in northwest Syria to use untreated wastewater, raising serious risks to public health and food security"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[430,19],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[408],"class_list":["post-40701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-slider"],"yoast_head":"\nIdlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil - 963+<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"963+\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/963mediaAr\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Naif Al-Bayoush\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@963mediaAr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@963mediaAr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Naif Al-Bayoush\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Naif Al-Bayoush\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b224df7fea5643a64268929829c6be\"},\"headline\":\"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1131,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Insights\",\"Slider\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/\",\"name\":\"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil - 963+\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":512},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/16\\\/12\\\/2025\\\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"963+\",\"description\":\"A diverse political, economic, cultural, and social website.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0633\u064a\u0627\u0633\u064a \u0627\u0642\u062a\u0635\u0627\u062f\u064a \u062b\u0642\u0627\u0641\u064a \u0627\u062c\u062a\u0645\u0627\u0639\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0648\u0651\u0639\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"\u0633\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0627 \u0648\u0627\u062d\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0647\u0627\",\"alternateName\":\"\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0633\u064a\u0627\u0633\u064a \u0627\u0642\u062a\u0635\u0627\u062f\u064a \u062b\u0642\u0627\u0641\u064a \u0627\u062c\u062a\u0645\u0627\u0639\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0648\u0651\u0639\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/392787211_122123525570182848_4459271165355755754_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/392787211_122123525570182848_4459271165355755754_n.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"\u0633\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0627 \u0648\u0627\u062d\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0647\u0627\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/963mediaAr\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/963mediaAr\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/963media.ar\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/t.me\\\/ar963media\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b224df7fea5643a64268929829c6be\",\"name\":\"Naif Al-Bayoush\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/57.jpg153fce547c2257e710b90584da0316bf\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/57.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/57.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Naif Al-Bayoush\"},\"description\":\"Syrian journalist, based in Idlib, with a diploma in media studies. He has contributed to various Syrian and Arab newspapers and online\u00a0platforms.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/963media.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/naif-al-bayoush\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil - 963+","description":"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil","og_description":"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.","og_url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/","og_site_name":"963+","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/963mediaAr","article_published_time":"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Naif Al-Bayoush","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@963mediaAr","twitter_site":"@963mediaAr","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Naif Al-Bayoush","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/"},"author":{"name":"Naif Al-Bayoush","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/33b224df7fea5643a64268929829c6be"},"headline":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil","datePublished":"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/"},"wordCount":1131,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg","articleSection":["Insights","Slider"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/","name":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil - 963+","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-16T20:10:10+00:00","description":"As water sources dry up in Idlib, farmers increasingly rely on untreated sewage to irrigate crops \u2013 a growing crisis threatening food safety, public health, and long-term agricultural sustainability.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/\u0645\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0639\u0648-\u0625\u062f\u0644\u0628-1024x512-1.jpg","width":1024,"height":512},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/16\/12\/2025\/idlib-a-green-season-on-diseased-soil\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Idlib: A Green Season on Diseased Soil"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/","name":"963+","description":"A diverse political, economic, cultural, and social website.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#organization"},"alternateName":"\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0633\u064a\u0627\u0633\u064a \u0627\u0642\u062a\u0635\u0627\u062f\u064a \u062b\u0642\u0627\u0641\u064a \u0627\u062c\u062a\u0645\u0627\u0639\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0648\u0651\u0639","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#organization","name":"\u0633\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0627 \u0648\u0627\u062d\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0647\u0627","alternateName":"\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0633\u064a\u0627\u0633\u064a \u0627\u0642\u062a\u0635\u0627\u062f\u064a \u062b\u0642\u0627\u0641\u064a \u0627\u062c\u062a\u0645\u0627\u0639\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0648\u0651\u0639","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/392787211_122123525570182848_4459271165355755754_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/392787211_122123525570182848_4459271165355755754_n.jpg","width":960,"height":960,"caption":"\u0633\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0627 \u0648\u0627\u062d\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0647\u0627"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/963mediaAr","https:\/\/x.com\/963mediaAr","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/963media.ar\/","https:\/\/t.me\/ar963media"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/33b224df7fea5643a64268929829c6be","name":"Naif Al-Bayoush","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/57.jpg153fce547c2257e710b90584da0316bf","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/57.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/57.jpg","caption":"Naif Al-Bayoush"},"description":"Syrian journalist, based in Idlib, with a diploma in media studies. He has contributed to various Syrian and Arab newspapers and online\u00a0platforms.","url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/author\/naif-al-bayoush\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":408,"user_id":119,"is_guest":0,"slug":"naif-al-bayoush","display_name":"Naif Al-Bayoush","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/57.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/57.jpg"},"author_category":"","first_name":"Naif","last_name":"Al-Bayoush","job_title":"","description":"Syrian journalist, based in Idlib, with a diploma in media studies. He has contributed to various Syrian and Arab newspapers and online\u00a0platforms."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40703,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40701\/revisions\/40703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40701"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=40701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}