The entire Middle East is in the midst of a water crisis, with nations across the region facing dire water shortages. Iraq, home to the powerful Tigris and Euphrates rivers, would seem to be an unlikely place for one of the most serious water problems in the world. In fact, Iraq faces a serious water shortage, and it has been getting worse for years. Here’s what you need to know:
The Origins of Iraq’s Water Problems
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are considered one of the cradles of human civilization, being home to the ancient empires of Assyria and Babylonia. For millennia, the life-giving waters of the two rivers have furnished successive civilizations with the critical resource needed to grow and thrive.
This continued into modern times, but problems began in the 1970s with the damming and diverting of the rivers in Turkey. Turkey’s actions caused a serious reduction in the rivers’ flow into Iraq. This has caused tension between the two neighboring countries. Iran has contributed to the problem by building various dam projects of its own.
Iraq is also facing desertification of its land. About 40 percent of Iraq’s territory is now considered desert. Rainfall in the nation has been at record lows in recent years. The quality of Iraq’s available water is very low. Many water sources are now polluted and unfit for human use. Southern cities such as Basra have reported thousands of illnesses related to residents drinking contaminated water, and officials have warned citizens to boil their water before drinking it.
The issue is exacerbated by the weakness and corruption of the Iraqi government. Iraq’s fledgling democracy has been under siege for most of its brief existence by internal conflict among ethnic and religious groups and the long fight against the Islamic State terror group (ISIS).
ISIS was notorious for attacking Iraqi water infrastructure, blowing up dams and causing massive damage to the flow of water resources throughout the country. The disruption caused by these events prevented the enactment of any nationwide policies to deal with the water crisis.
Transparency International, an organization that rates nations based on their level of corruption, consistently places Iraq among the worst of all nations in terms of corruption. Monies earmarked for infrastructure and internal improvements disappear without a trace, and projects are left unfunded and abandoned.
What Can be Done to Mitigate Iraq’s Water Crisis?
In order for Iraq to dig its way out of the worsening water crisis it faces, significant changes need to be made. After the defeat of ISIS, the internal situation in Iraq is better than it has been in a long while. This means that now is the time for Iraqi leadership to step forward and take action to protect and preserve its water resources.
First, Iraq needs to be more aggressive in confronting Turkey and Iran about the damage their projects are doing to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. With the entire region facing water shortages, nations cannot be allowed to destroy the few significant water sources that do exist. Iraqi leaders need to look to their regional and international allies to put pressure on Turkey and Iran to stop their damaging diversion of precious water.
Second, internal efforts need to be made to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the corruption that has plagued Iraqi institutions for years. Until this is done, there is sure to be corruption in the future that will squander monies earmarked for projects designed to deal with the water problems.
In addition, the Iraqi central government needs to take action to modify the damaging practices of Iraqi farmers. Their misuse of fertilizers and overuse of the land in farming is depleting the amount of freshwater and further contributing to desertification. Modern farming methods, including the use of greenhouses, drought-resistant seeds, and the installation of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, must be implemented as soon as possible. Urban areas need to be addressed as well, as they also contribute to the pollution of the water.
In order to ensure a future with adequate water resources, the Iraqi government needs to focus on educating relevant stakeholders about the water crisis and what individuals can do to help mitigate it. Informing the public about wasteful practices and how to avoid them, as well as teaching school children the importance of conserving water, are vital steps in getting the populace to be cognizant of the severity of the crisis.
Iraq faces a very uncertain future if its water resources are depleted and ruined. The task of reversing the damage falls squarely on an Iraqi government that has had serious problems defining and asserting its authority across the nation.
This has led to international weakness and the inability to convince its neighbors to stop their destructive practices. All Iraqis are going to need to be supportive of their government and strengthen its hand in international relations if the nation is to survive its water crisis and thrive in the future.