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The heavy rains that fell at the beginning of the winter and are still continuing in various regions of Iraq have revived hopes for an abundant agricultural season and a thirst-free summer, after three severe drought seasons that caused agricultural production, especially in the wheat and barley crops, to decline by more than half. In addition to the drying up of large areas of the marshes in the south of the country; This prompted many of its residents to migrate to city centers in search of new job opportunities.

On Saturday, the United Nations highlighted the water and climate challenges facing Iraq on World Water Day, warning that drought would “create societal tensions and hinder development.”

With the signs of spring, the country witnessed a wave of torrential rains and torrential rains during the last week, which caused some governorates, especially in Dhuul in the Kurdistan region, with significant property losses in addition to the death of two people. Calls were launched in Parliament to compensate the affected residents.

Water storage

However, the Ministry of Water Resources says that it has succeeded in absorbing intense rain and torrential waves, and diverting its streams to dams and lakes to increase its water reserves, which have suffered a serious decline over the past years.

The Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Dhab Abdullah, said in press statements, “The recent rains achieved complete irrigation of all crops throughout the country, and this is a good indicator, and means that we do not have to release large quantities of reservoirs and dams.”

Abdullah confirmed that his ministry had begun reducing its releases to preserve the water reserves available to face the next summer season.

The Ministry of Resources announced earlier that water reserves had risen to about 10 percent within a very short period compared to previous seasons, and expected it to increase to about 15 billion cubic metres, with rain expected to continue in the coming days until the snow melting season in the mountain highlands. North of the country.

Most of the statements issued by the Ministry of Water Resources herald a thirst-free summer due to the increase in water reserves.

Ministry of Agriculture spokesman Muhammad Al-Khuzaie expected that Iraq would witness the most abundant agricultural season in its history, with more than 6 million dunums being planted.

Al-Khuzaie told Asharq Al-Awsat, “All facts indicate that we will reach this level of agriculture, and we will be able to be self-sufficient in the strategic wheat crop.”

He added, “Combined reasons helped in this level of agriculture, including the abundance of water, unlimited government support for the agricultural sector, and the introduction of modern mechanization in cultivating about 4 million new dunams in desert areas.”

One of the manifestations of support for agriculture in Iraq, according to Al-Khuzai, is that the government buys one ton of wheat at a price of 850,000 Iraqi dinars (about 600 dollars), while the price of a ton of Australian wheat does not exceed about 350 dollars.

Water for peace

For its part, the United Nations in Iraq highlighted water challenges and called for cooperation on the International Day, which it set under the title “Year of Water for Peace.”

On Saturday, the United Nations team in Iraq drew attention to the pressing water issues facing the country, and called in a statement for strengthening cooperation to confront these challenges.

He believed that “water scarcity, pollution, and unequal access to water” could lead to creating societal tensions and hindering social and economic development.

The team added in a detailed press statement, “Iraq is located in an area that already suffers from water stress, and faces a set of challenges because of that. The country’s water resources are shared with neighboring countries, making transboundary water management crucial to enhancing cooperation and maintaining peace.

Iraq has been complaining for years about the “unjust” water policies pursued by Turkey and Iran towards it, through the two countries preventing it from obtaining water shares by constructing dams on the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and diverting the course of the rivers that flow into its lands.

The UN statement quoted the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Ghulam Ishaqzai, as saying, “The impact of climate change further complicates the water situation in Iraq – as rising temperatures exacerbate the water scarcity crisis, reducing agricultural productivity.” “It puts food security and public health at risk.”

He added, “The deterioration of water quality due to pollution and inadequate waste management practices pose a major threat to human well-being and environmental safety. That is why the United Nations continues to work side by side with the Iraqi government and its partners to mitigate the severity of this crisis.”

The statement indicates the cooperation of the United Nations team in Iraq with the Iraqi government to confront the growing crises of water scarcity and pollution.

Rehabilitation of stations

According to the statement, United Nations organizations rehabilitated 7 major water treatment plants in the south of the country, which “led to a significant improvement in the surrounding local communities’ access to safe drinking water.”

He continued, “In the Hawizeh Marshes, the United Nations is working with the local administration to empower communities affected by the crisis and enhance access to clean water through solar photovoltaic water purification systems, enabling about 960,000 individuals to obtain clean drinking water.”

The UN statement concluded by saying that the UN country team “continues to support the water sector in Iraq with the aim of addressing the water scarcity crisis and achieving impactful results for children and their families by strengthening systems in order to reach consensus on fair and inclusive water management and resource management frameworks.” “Eliminate water pollution and strengthen local markets to increase access to clean, equitable and climate-resilient water and sanitation facilities in communities, schools and health facilities.”

It is noteworthy that the United Nations and the rest of the world celebrate World Water Day annually on March 22, which serves as “an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of fresh water and call for sustainable management of water resources,” according to the United Nations.