In a year that has been marked by environmental disasters, there is some good news coming out of Iraq.
After years of drought, Iraqi farmers and the government are now optimistic, with expectations of a good harvest of wheat this year, thanks to heavy and unexpected rains.
“God has saved us this season with the heavy rains,” Abdul Aal Mahdi Chleib, a tribal leader and farmer from Wasit province in central Iraq, told The National.
Iraq, which relies heavily on agriculture, has been grappling with water scarcity for several years, with droughts forcing farmers to reduce the size of their cultivated areas.
The lack of water is due to climate change and the construction of dams in neighbouring countries, which have reduced the flow of water to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The situation has been compounded by the mismanagement of water resources and the use of outdated irrigation techniques.
This has had a severe impact on the country's agriculture sector, which employs about a third of Iraq's roughly 43 million people.
The season for winter grains, mainly wheat, begins in October and the harvest is between April and May. Like previous seasons, it began with little rain and dwindling water levels in the rivers.
“There was fear that we would not see enough rain this season, especially as our land is far from the river, nearly 40 kilometres, which makes it hard to pump water,” said Mr Chleib, who planted about 4,000 dunams, or about 400 hectares, this year.
“Thanks to be to God, there was more than enough rain and we didn’t need to bring water from the Tigris river.”
But this growing season was “very expensive”, Mr Chlieb said, because government support in the form of subsidised fertiliser, equipment and fuel “only covered nearly 40 per cent of the needs and we bought fertilisers and equipment from the market”.
Despite that the government increased last year the official price for each tonne — 850,000 Iraqi dinars, or about $600 — the high expenses have left the farmers with low profit margin, he said.
Known as the breadbasket of Iraq, Wasit province has seen the size of its cultivated area shrink from 1.5 million dunams, 150,000 hectares, three years ago to about 500,000 dunams, 50,000 hectares, last year, said Arkan Marush, head of provincial agricultural department.
“The season was tough and challenges were big due to shortage of water and the delay in government support amid a transition period,” he told The National, referring to the year-long political wrangling that delayed the formation of a government after the October 2021 elections.
“The plan for winter season was to cultivate 400,000 dunams, 40,000 hectares, in the province and we didn’t even expect to cover that area due to lack of water.”
But once the rains started in late November, the area of cultivated land has expanded to 912,000 dunams, 91,200 hectares, he said.
Wheat production in Wasit this year is expected to be at least 850,000 tonnes up from nearly 600,000 tonnes last year, Mr Marush said.
Iraq's total wheat production stood at 4.23 million tonnes in the 2021-2022 season, down from 6.23 tonnes the previous season, according to Ministry of Agriculture figures.
Production is expected to hit five million tonnes this year, ministry spokesman Mohammed Al Khuzaie said.
“This will cover most of the local consumption for wheat,” Mr Al Khuzaie said. “This season was beyond expectations in which we didn’t use our strategic water reserve.”
Iraq needs between 4.5 million and five million tonnes of wheat a year to supply its subsidised food programme.
It usually mixes local grain with supplies from Australia, Canada and the US to make up for any shortfalls in local production.
Iraq has faced water shortages for several years. The Ministry of Water Resources said early this year that 2022 was the driest year the country has witnessed since 1930.
The heavy rains and the increase in water flow from Turkey have boosted Iraq's water reserves in dams and lakes by 30 per cent since early this year, the Water Resources Ministry announced this week.
If there will be no enough water flow [in the summer], then the situation will be dire
Raad Al Asadi,
Environmental activist
Endangered marshes
The unexpected heavy rains have also had a positive impact on the country's marshes, which were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2016 for their biodiversity and ancient history.
The marshes, which were drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s and left dry for many years, filled with water once again after the US-invasion that toppled the Iraqi dictator in 2003.
But they suffered a severe decline in recent years because of drought, forcing thousands of its inhabitants to leave for urban areas and losing most of their fish stocks.
However, the heavy rains have reflooded the marshes, bringing life back to the ecosystem. Local and foreign tourists are now returning to witness the beauty of this unique environment.
“The current situation in the marshes is improving, with water covering huge areas again,” said environmental activist Raad Al Asadi, founder of NGO Al Chebayesh.
About 3,000 tourists have been visiting the marshes each week this year, most of them foreigners, Mr Al Asadi said.
He said that many families from the area had also returned to their homes.
But what worries him and the farmers is the summer.
“If there will be not enough water flow, then the situation will be dire,” he said.
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Protracted%20but%20less%20intense%20war%20(60%25%20likelihood)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Negotiated%20end%20to%20the%20conflict%20(30%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Russia%20seizes%20more%20territory%20(20%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Ukraine%20pushes%20Russia%20back%20(10%25)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EForecast%20by%20Economist%20Intelligence%20Unit%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
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- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
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