Iraq has experienced significant suffering over the past four years due to the ongoing water crisis, amidst rising temperatures, scarce rainfall, and issues with neighboring countries, prompting it to take action on all fronts to save its civilizations that flourished on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, whose water levels have declined to a level that threatens the possibility of losing drinking water.
Despite the framework cooperation agreement between Iraq and Turkey, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Awn Dhiab Abdullah affirmed today, Sunday, during the Fourth Baghdad International Water Conference, that Iraq is now living below the water poverty line. Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit issued three calls to the water-sharing countries.
Reports by the United Nations indicated that 17 countries, including Iraq out of 22 Arab countries, are living on the water poverty line, with 12 countries below this line and 16 countries facing drought threats by 2040 out of 33 countries worldwide.
Abdullah said in a press conference held on the sidelines of the Fourth Baghdad International Water Conference, “Iraq has become suffering from a shortage of water resources and has fallen below the water poverty line, which calls for our attention to the water issue and shedding clear light on this problem.”
The Minister emphasized the necessity of “support from Arab countries for Iraq regarding justice in the distribution of water quotas for rivers shared between us and neighboring countries from which these rivers originate.”
Abdullah pointed out “the existence of many ongoing discussions and studies in various specialties aimed at reaching important results in the field of water resources management in Iraq.”
He also mentioned “governmental directives to resolve the water file and purchase modern irrigation equipment.”
Iraq signed an agreement with Turkey on April 22nd of this year, covering various areas, and in the field of water, a framework cooperation agreement was signed between Iraq and Turkey aimed at developing ways of understanding and cooperation in the water sector, based on the principles of equality, good intentions, good neighborliness, and developing a new vision for implementing infrastructure and investment projects for water resources in Iraq, according to a government statement.
The agreement includes cooperation through joint projects to improve water management in the Tigris and Euphrates basins, and inviting Turkish companies to cooperate in irrigation infrastructure projects such as water harvesting systems, channel lining, installation of filtration and desalination stations, and water treatment projects.
Meanwhile, spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources Khalid Shemal said, “All neighboring countries of Iraq participated in the Fourth International Baghdad Water Conference and there is no boycott.”
He confirmed that “there is a representative from the Turkish embassy currently present in the conference hall held in the capital Baghdad, representing the Turkish government at the conference.”
He also mentioned “the historic visit by the Turkish president to Baghdad and the signing of the framework agreement with the Prime Minister, which is about managing the water file.”
Furthermore, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani described the water situation in Iraq today, Sunday, as “not in the best condition” due to the decline in the levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the exacerbation of desertification due to climate change, reiterating his call to the water-sharing countries to cooperate and coordinate jointly to secure a fair water share for the country.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Mohammed Tameem said in a speech delivered on behalf of al-Sudani during the Fourth International Baghdad Conference and reported by “Al-Alam Al-Hadid” that “the challenges facing our countries in the field of water resources are difficult and complex, and they are becoming more complicated day by day, in light of the increasing rates of water demand resulting from the increasing population, which has put pressure on water resources, especially those related to food security, and the consequences of climate change, which have begun to cast their shadows on our planet.”
He added, “We need sound water management, according to the principles of international law, and such management requires sustained communication and joint coordination between our countries, to reach the best management methods that are commensurate with the importance and urgency of the water issue.”
Tameem also pointed out that the Iraqi government is making exceptional efforts to find appropriate solutions to water problems and address the issues surrounding our water resources in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as other sources, and coordinate with upstream countries to ensure our full water rights.
He affirmed that the Ministry of Water Resources and its supporting entities are leading commendable efforts in the water file, aiming to develop and regulate water resources sustainably, ultimately achieving water self-sufficiency in the agricultural sector primarily, the industrial sector, and individual consumption of freshwater.
He noted, “There has been a clear decline in revenues through the Tigris and Euphrates basins, which has led to the expansion of desertification and the disappearance of many villages due to migration,” emphasizing that “Iraq has faced a problem represented by the decrease in rainfall, resulting from climate change, which has greatly affected rain-fed agriculture.”
Furthermore, he said, “The convening of the Fourth Water Conference in Baghdad represents a great opportunity to study the circumstances and prominent challenges facing us all, threatening our water security directly or indirectly.”
The Minister of Planning emphasized, “Internally, we need clear water policies through which we work to regulate water usage and reduce wastage.”
Tameem concluded by urging, “We urgently need to agree on common water policies, especially among countries sharing water sources.”
Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in his speech during the conference that “the water situation in Iraq continues to witness increasing pressure due to various factors, including Iraq’s reduced share, continued drought, population growth, and increased effects of climate change.”
He emphasized that “the water issue in our countries is not merely a technical and developmental matter, but rather an existential issue linked to Arab national security and future challenges, requiring cooperation in all sectors and continuous coordination at the regional level.”
Aboul Gheit also pointed out that “the neighboring Arab countries, Turkey and Iran regarding Iraq and Syria, and Ethiopia regarding Egypt, are required to follow an approach to deal with the water file, emphasizing that water security is inseparable from food security.”
The rising temperatures in Iraq have led to a significant decrease in annual rainfall, currently at 30 percent, with this decrease expected to reach 65 percent by 2050.
The total volume of water received from the Tigris and Euphrates has significantly decreased from 93.47 billion cubic meters in 2019 to 49.59 billion cubic meters in 2020, primarily due to the actions of upstream countries.
Iraq loses 100 square kilometers of agricultural land annually due to desertification, and a report from the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources indicates that severe drought waves expected until 2025 will lead to the complete drying up of the Euphrates River in its southern sector, while the Tigris River will turn into a watercourse with limited resources.
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