The Mashreq, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, entered the 2025 summer under severe water stress, driven by below-average precipitation and escalating sectoral vulnerabilities. The present policy brief examines the concurrent occurrence of meteorological, agricultural and hydrological droughts, highlighting their impact on agriculture, water and food security, energy, environment and health. It calls for an integrated multi-sectoral and cooperative approach to drought risk management, emphasizing regional planning, early warning systems, climate-resilient agriculture, water efficiency technologies, and institutional strengthening.
The 2025 dry season may foreshadow a new climate reality for the Mashreq, underscoring the urgency of timely action to mitigate humanitarian, environmental and economic consequences, particularly in countries still recovering from conflict and its spillover effects.
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