Six months after liberation from a dictator, Syrians not only are aiming for democracy, but also must find solutions for a severe drought. That crisis may be a unifying moment.

One of the busiest people in a newly liberated Syria these days is its minister for agriculture, Amjad Badr. The stability of the Middle East may depend on the success of this man, whose doctorate research focused on irrigation.

Dr. Badr has been meeting with Syrian farmers and flying to foreign capitals to find ways to deal with the worst drought since the 1950s in a country that is already one of the most severely affected by the global climate crisis.

One reason for his busy schedule: Syria’s new leaders do not want history to repeat itself. A drought from 2006 to 2011 forced many young people in rural areas t

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