BAGHDAD: Iraq’s water reserves are at their lowest in 80 years after a dry rainy season, a government official said Sunday, as its share from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers shrinks.
Water is a major issue in the country of 46 million people undergoing a serious environmental crisis because of climate change, drought, rising temperatures and declining rainfall.
Authorities also blame upstream dams built in neighboring Iran and Turkiye for dramatically lowering the flow of the once-mighty Tigris and Euphrates, which have irrigated Iraq for millennia.
“The summer season should begin with at least 18 billion cubic meters... yet we only have about 10 billion cubic meters,” water resources ministry spokesperson Khaled Shamal told AFP.
“Last year our strategic reserves were better. It was double what we have now,” Shamal said.
“We haven’t seen such a low reserve in 80 years,” he added, saying this was mostly due to the reduced flow from the two rivers.
Iraq currently receives less than 40 percent of its share from the Tigris and Euphrates, according to Shamal.
He said sparse rainfall this winter and low water levels from melting snow has worsened the situation in Iraq, considered by the United Nations to be one of the five countries most vulnerable to some impacts of climate change.
Water shortages have forced many farmers in Iraq to abandon the land, and authorities have drastically reduced farming activity to ensure sufficient supplies of drinking water.
Agricultural planning in Iraq always depends on water, and this year it aims to preserve “green spaces and productive areas” amounting to more than 1.5 million Iraqi dunams (375,000 hectares), said Shamal.
Last year, authorities allowed farmers to cultivate 2.5 million dunams of corn, rice, and orchards, according to the water ministry.
Water has been a source of tension between Iraq and Turkiye, which has urged Baghdad to adopt efficient water management plans.
In 2024, Iraq and Turkiye signed a 10-year “framework agreement,” mostly to invest in projects to ensure better water resources management.
Iraq’s water reserves lowest in 80 years: official
https://arab.news/2g4tp
Iraq’s water reserves lowest in 80 years: official
- Iraqi spokesperson of the Water Resources Ministry Khaled Shamal says the country hasn't seen such a low reserve in 80 years
- Iraq is considered by the United Nations to be one of the five most impacted countries by climate change
UAE president holds talks with Elon Musk on AI and technology cooperation
ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met on Sunday with Elon Musk for talks focused on artificial intelligence, advanced technology and international cooperation in emerging sectors.
According to WAM, the two discussed ongoing developments in AI and next-generation technologies, and how such tools could be deployed to improve quality of life, accelerate global innovation and support long-term economic development.
Both sides stressed the importance of international partnerships and knowledge exchange to speed up technological adoption and strengthen countries’ ability to respond to future challenges.
The meeting was attended by senior UAE leaders including the crown princes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Musk has maintained warm ties with the Emirates in recent years, appearing at government-backed technology forums and positioning Tesla and SpaceX as partners in the region’s innovation push.
He spoke at the World Government Summit in Dubai in 2017 and again in 2023, where he praised the UAE’s focus on digital transformation.
