Syria is expanding efforts to recycle an estimated 50 million cubic meters of war rubble into construction materials, as authorities seek to support reconstruction and create jobs.
Raed al-Saleh, minister of emergency and disaster management, said around three million cubic meters had been removed during the first eight months of 2026. Authorities are targeting a similar volume for the rest of the year and aim to clear Syria of rubble by mid-2028.
Projects in Damascus Countryside, Homs, Aleppo and Deir Ezzor are crushing, sorting and processing debris for use in roads, asphalt, paving stones, concrete blocks and other materials.
In Douma and Darayya, 84,000 cubic meters of debris have been removed, with 12,000 cubic meters crushed and sorted for service projects. The initiative has also created more than 35 jobs. Homs, meanwhile, has more than eight million cubic meters of rubble, while a project in Deir Ezzor plans to recycle about eight million cubic meters.
According to the announcement, more than 1,300 people have participated in rubble-recycling activities, supporting the incomes of about 6,000 household members. UNDP’s Revive project is targeting the removal of 570,000 tons of rubble across four areas, alongside road and water-network rehabilitation.
Experts say a formal recycling industry could lower reconstruction and transportation costs, reduce reliance on imported raw materials and attract investment, but would require technical standards, environmental rules and financing.
Source: Sana
