Iraq's water reserves are at their lowest levels in 80 years after a dry rainy season, a government official said on Sunday, as its intake from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers shrinks.
Water is a major issue in a 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 neighbouring Iran and Turkey for lowering the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates, which have irrigated Iraq for thousands of years.
“The summer season should begin with at least 18 billion cubic metres … yet we only have about 10 billion cubic metres,” Water Resources Ministry spokesman Khaled Shamal told AFP.
“Last year, our strategic reserves were better. It was double what we have now,” Mr Shamal said.
“We haven't seen such a low reserve in 80 years,” he added, which he said was mostly due to the reduced flow from the two rivers.
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 effects of climate change.
Water shortages have forced many farmers in Iraq to abandon the land, and authorities have 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 Mr 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 Turkey, which has urged Baghdad to adopt efficient water management plans.
In 2024, Iraq and Turkey signed a 10-year “framework agreement”, mostly to invest in projects to ensure better water resources management.
Watch: Parts of Iraq swelter in summer heat as temperatures peak at 49ºC
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
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Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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