UN warns of serious water problems for Iraq

Various UN agencies have issued an urgent call for action to protect Iraq, as water becomes increasingly scarce. Iraq’s population - currently at 40.22 million - is ever increasing and with it, so is water consumption.

Climate change creates additional challenges, as the country experiences record low rainfall and back-to-back droughts. Lake Sawa is the latest casualty. For the first time in history the lake known as the ‘pearl of the south’ has dried up.

In a shocking report last December, Iraq’s water resources ministry warned that the decreasing water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which form the backbone of the country’s fresh water supplies, could turn Iraq into a “land without rivers by 2040.”

The Iraqi government's decision to cut irrigation for agricultural areas by 50%, due to low levels of water, is putting a strain on the wheat harvest. Local demand for the staple is between 5 to 6 million tons per year, but with each passing year production is shrinking. In 2020, Iraq produced 6.2 million tons, and the following year they produced 4.2 million tons - this year, far less is expected to be produced.

The UN has placed Iraq among the top five countries worldwide most impacted by climate change.