The decline in the level of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq was recorded as a result of severe water shortages and a policy of rationing by the authorities, who on Sunday promised to take measures to overcome the crisis. In the center of the Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq, an AFP photographer was able to see the bottom of the Euphrates River, the banks and abutments of the bridges crossing the river are visible. The water file is considered a pressing and painful issue for Iraq, a semi-desert country with about 42 million people. Baghdad has repeatedly accused its neighbors Turkey and Iran of causing a decrease in the amount of water reaching its lands, especially due to the construction of dams on two rivers.
The Iraqi Water Ministry said in a Sunday statement that “the decrease in water quotas in some southern governorates” is due to “the lack of revenue from water flowing to the Mosul Dam on the Tigris and the Hadita Dam on the Euphrates from neighboring Turkey.” This, she said, led to a “drastic reduction in the country’s water supply.” Improper irrigation practices also exacerbated this shortage, the ministry said, noting that “farmers did not adhere to the prescribed agricultural areas” in accordance with a plan set by the authorities.
Abd al-Ridha Mustah Sunaid, director of water resources in Dhi Qar, said farmers “have begun to bypass and cultivate vast areas that could be many times larger than planned by the agricultural plan.” According to the official, this has led to “an increase in water consumption from the basins of the Garraf and Euphrates rivers and has marred the lack of incoming water.”
Iraq is often faced with the problem of water shortage, so the authorities ration the distribution of water for various needs, such as irrigation, agriculture, drinking water consumption, fertilizing the swamps of southern Iraq. This is done by saving water in dams in the north of the country, which causes discontent in the southern provinces.
“This situation is temporary,” Iraqi Water Ministry spokesman Khaled Shamal said in a statement to AFP, referring to the falling levels of two rivers in the south. He added that his ministry would release more water from Iraqi dams in Mosul, Dokan and Darbandikhan, promising positive results “within the next two days.” With less rainfall, higher temperatures and increasing desertification, Iraq is among the five countries most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change in the world, according to the UN.
In December, the World Bank called on Iraq to adopt a “greener” development model to address climate challenges. In the report, the international organization called on Iraq to “modernize the irrigation system” and “rebuild the dams”. She also highlighted the need to “improve water distribution and reuse of wastewater” as well as the “growing reliance on smart agriculture” in the face of climate change.