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Urgent moves to boost water storage amid warnings of Iraq's drought in 2040
Investigations and Reports Today, 12:27
Baghdad - conscious - Amna Al-Salami
The country has witnessed a new crisis that is added to the crises it suffers from at the economic and service levels, represented by water scarcity and the desertification of a large and wide number of agricultural lands, in addition to the exposure of some governorates to drought. And support the agricultural plan in the country.
On the benefit of rain and floods, the spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources, Ali Radi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the ministry has proactive annual plans through its accumulated experiences, implemented through its human and mechanical staff in conditions of water scarcity or torrential floods," noting that
""The water received through the recent torrents of the country and the rains falling in the northern, eastern and northeastern parts are not bad, and they were directed to the dams of Mosul, Dukan, Darbandikhan and al-Azim to enhance the country’s water storage.”
He added, "The water storage in our dams has been strengthened, including the Mosul Dam, Dukan Dam, Darbandikhan Dam, as well as Al-Azeem," noting that
"the amount of water coming through the Upper Zab and the Lower Zab was directed through the Tanzim Dam and Debs Dam to the Tigris River and through the Tigris River, part of it was directed From it to Lake Tharthar and through the Tharthar Regulator, and the other quantity was directed through the Samarra Dam to the column of the Tigris River.
He continued, "The ministry will reduce water releases according to a studied plan and according to the requirements required to maintain the quantities obtained during torrential rains and rains, and to preserve water storage," explaining that
"this raw water can be secured according to need, in addition to benefiting from it in the agricultural plan as well as Raw water is the tongue stations or other well-known uses, including feeding the marshes, rationing the marshes, and pushing the salty tongue in the Shatt al-Arab, in addition to other uses within this field.
He stressed that "all torrents and rain were exploited by storing them in dams and reservoirs, in addition to reviving some areas that suffer from drought," noting that
"these rains have partially strengthened the water reserves of Diyala Governorate, which suffers from water scarcity and drought, as these rains and torrents served it." Significantly".
International negotiations and crisis solutions
Between Radi, "The meeting and dialogues with neighboring countries and upstream countries are continuing on the issue of scarcity," noting that
"the ministry has plans to address the crisis, including plans for water releases and plans for its distribution, and plans supported by the Prime Minister, the Supreme Judicial Council, security agencies and operations leaders to prevent abuses of water quotas and prevent pollution".
"The government-backed plan is important, and all of these plans are simultaneous and lead to the development of effective solutions to many problems, including water scarcity or receiving torrential rains," he added.
In addition, the economic expert, Mustafa Akram Hantoush, confirmed to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the coming years may witness a water war, which the upstream countries seem to be declaring on Iraq by cutting rivers, reducing water rates, and heading towards building new dams," noting that
"this It represents forcing Iraq to be a country devoid of agriculture, industry and education."
He pointed out that "this matter should not go unnoticed and it is possible to complain about them internationally or reduce the trade balance in order to obtain water entitlements and others," stressing that
"this issue is not reassuring for the food security of grain, and if Iraq loses it, we may be facing a new rise in food prices." Iraqi markets.
Strategic crops are in danger
The researcher in political and economic affairs, Nabil Al-Jabbar Al-Ali, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the year 2021 witnessed a type of drought at the regional and Middle East levels, in which water levels were reduced by half, and thus
this decrease in the level of water quantities reaching to The main streams of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which caused a decrease in the size of the cultivated lands, so the government plan for the cultivated lands had reduced it to 50%,” noting,
“This will contribute to a significant negative impact on the Iraqi agricultural reality and on providing an important part of the food basket, especially in the strategic crops of wheat and barley.”".
However, he added, "Nevertheless, procedures are still limited with regard to the issue of government treatments and procedures, as it is assumed that there will be quick and urgent government treatments," noting that
"the remaining measures at the average level are related to conducting dams or regulators, which represent small dams on the Rivers, which serve to confine water and place it in side tributaries that feed distant lands.
He added that "there are great losses in the agricultural sector and it may be a cause for social problems such as displacement in the future, especially in the coming years," adding that
"the water stress indicator indicates that Iraq may be devoid of water in 2040 and may show signs of drought in 2025."
He called for "the need to work hard in developing different strategies to preserve this reality and avoid potential risks."
Combat Desertification
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Hamid Al-Nayef, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the phenomenon of desertification is an international phenomenon,
which is represented by the transformation of arable lands into unsuitable lands for agriculture, that is, in the sense of reducing and shortening the fertile agricultural areas," noting, that
"the ministry has A department called the Department of Desires, which carries out the tasks of limiting and combating desertification, within the available capabilities.
He added that "Iraq suffers from many problems that have led to the desertification of areas, including global warming, as well as the lack of rain, as well as the decreasing water coming from the regional neighboring countries, and that
Iraq is still in fact not receiving water dues within international conventions and thus negatively affected the quantities of land and cultivated areas.
And he added, "Any land left without cultivation goes to desertification, and therefore the ministry's measures are to plant perennial trees and trees that are resistant to drought, in addition to making some oases," noting that
"this work is patchwork because the effort to combat desertification is intended for a great effort by the state and its institutions."
He stressed, "the importance of putting in place a special law to combat and limit desertification is the planting of trees," stressing that
"Iraq needs 14 billion trees in order to have large green spaces."
Urgent moves to boost water storage amid warnings of Iraq's drought in 2040
Investigations and Reports Today, 12:27
Baghdad - conscious - Amna Al-Salami
The country has witnessed a new crisis that is added to the crises it suffers from at the economic and service levels, represented by water scarcity and the desertification of a large and wide number of agricultural lands, in addition to the exposure of some governorates to drought. And support the agricultural plan in the country.
On the benefit of rain and floods, the spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources, Ali Radi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the ministry has proactive annual plans through its accumulated experiences, implemented through its human and mechanical staff in conditions of water scarcity or torrential floods," noting that
""The water received through the recent torrents of the country and the rains falling in the northern, eastern and northeastern parts are not bad, and they were directed to the dams of Mosul, Dukan, Darbandikhan and al-Azim to enhance the country’s water storage.”
He added, "The water storage in our dams has been strengthened, including the Mosul Dam, Dukan Dam, Darbandikhan Dam, as well as Al-Azeem," noting that
"the amount of water coming through the Upper Zab and the Lower Zab was directed through the Tanzim Dam and Debs Dam to the Tigris River and through the Tigris River, part of it was directed From it to Lake Tharthar and through the Tharthar Regulator, and the other quantity was directed through the Samarra Dam to the column of the Tigris River.
He continued, "The ministry will reduce water releases according to a studied plan and according to the requirements required to maintain the quantities obtained during torrential rains and rains, and to preserve water storage," explaining that
"this raw water can be secured according to need, in addition to benefiting from it in the agricultural plan as well as Raw water is the tongue stations or other well-known uses, including feeding the marshes, rationing the marshes, and pushing the salty tongue in the Shatt al-Arab, in addition to other uses within this field.
He stressed that "all torrents and rain were exploited by storing them in dams and reservoirs, in addition to reviving some areas that suffer from drought," noting that
"these rains have partially strengthened the water reserves of Diyala Governorate, which suffers from water scarcity and drought, as these rains and torrents served it." Significantly".
International negotiations and crisis solutions
Between Radi, "The meeting and dialogues with neighboring countries and upstream countries are continuing on the issue of scarcity," noting that
"the ministry has plans to address the crisis, including plans for water releases and plans for its distribution, and plans supported by the Prime Minister, the Supreme Judicial Council, security agencies and operations leaders to prevent abuses of water quotas and prevent pollution".
"The government-backed plan is important, and all of these plans are simultaneous and lead to the development of effective solutions to many problems, including water scarcity or receiving torrential rains," he added.
In addition, the economic expert, Mustafa Akram Hantoush, confirmed to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the coming years may witness a water war, which the upstream countries seem to be declaring on Iraq by cutting rivers, reducing water rates, and heading towards building new dams," noting that
"this It represents forcing Iraq to be a country devoid of agriculture, industry and education."
He pointed out that "this matter should not go unnoticed and it is possible to complain about them internationally or reduce the trade balance in order to obtain water entitlements and others," stressing that
"this issue is not reassuring for the food security of grain, and if Iraq loses it, we may be facing a new rise in food prices." Iraqi markets.
Strategic crops are in danger
The researcher in political and economic affairs, Nabil Al-Jabbar Al-Ali, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the year 2021 witnessed a type of drought at the regional and Middle East levels, in which water levels were reduced by half, and thus
this decrease in the level of water quantities reaching to The main streams of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which caused a decrease in the size of the cultivated lands, so the government plan for the cultivated lands had reduced it to 50%,” noting,
“This will contribute to a significant negative impact on the Iraqi agricultural reality and on providing an important part of the food basket, especially in the strategic crops of wheat and barley.”".
However, he added, "Nevertheless, procedures are still limited with regard to the issue of government treatments and procedures, as it is assumed that there will be quick and urgent government treatments," noting that
"the remaining measures at the average level are related to conducting dams or regulators, which represent small dams on the Rivers, which serve to confine water and place it in side tributaries that feed distant lands.
He added that "there are great losses in the agricultural sector and it may be a cause for social problems such as displacement in the future, especially in the coming years," adding that
"the water stress indicator indicates that Iraq may be devoid of water in 2040 and may show signs of drought in 2025."
He called for "the need to work hard in developing different strategies to preserve this reality and avoid potential risks."
Combat Desertification
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Hamid Al-Nayef, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the phenomenon of desertification is an international phenomenon,
which is represented by the transformation of arable lands into unsuitable lands for agriculture, that is, in the sense of reducing and shortening the fertile agricultural areas," noting, that
"the ministry has A department called the Department of Desires, which carries out the tasks of limiting and combating desertification, within the available capabilities.
He added that "Iraq suffers from many problems that have led to the desertification of areas, including global warming, as well as the lack of rain, as well as the decreasing water coming from the regional neighboring countries, and that
Iraq is still in fact not receiving water dues within international conventions and thus negatively affected the quantities of land and cultivated areas.
And he added, "Any land left without cultivation goes to desertification, and therefore the ministry's measures are to plant perennial trees and trees that are resistant to drought, in addition to making some oases," noting that
"this work is patchwork because the effort to combat desertification is intended for a great effort by the state and its institutions."
He stressed, "the importance of putting in place a special law to combat and limit desertification is the planting of trees," stressing that
"Iraq needs 14 billion trees in order to have large green spaces."
