The political economy of the autonomous administration of north and east Syria

Abstract

North-eastern Syria is the country’s richest region in terms of natural resources and agricultural production. In January 2014, the Democratic Union Party unilaterally established an autonomous administration in its territory, effectively providing it with significant influence over Syria’s economy and a large margin of independence. However, the nascent administration remains closely intertwined with the rest of the country. This paper explores the economic governance and structure of the region and the administration’s policies managing and controlling the local resources. The findings of the study mainly show a discrepancy between the administration’s celebrated social policies and the implementation of central authority in the key economic sectors. Analysis of north-eastern Syria’s economy is particularly essential with the prospect of a possible return of the regime to the region and possible scenarios in which its local economy is re-integrated with the rest of the country.