ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Authorities in Duhok province have permitted farmers to dig wells and construct artificial ponds to preserve their crops as the Kurdistan Region faces a low rainfall season, an agriculture official said on Sunday.
“They have plans to use groundwater for the agricultural sector and allow farmers to drill wells and change their irrigation systems,” Muhsin Hassan, deputy director general of Duhok agriculture, told Rudaw’s Dildar Harki.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are amid a low rainfall season that has threatened crops and water availability.
“For areas that don't have groundwater, artificial ponds are being constructed. So far, 56 artificial ponds have been built, and the plan is to construct more ponds in areas that are close to rivers,” Hassan said.
In Duhok province, approximately 643,000 dunams of agricultural land depend on rainwater for irrigation.
“Approximately 190,000 dunams of rainfed land falls within the boundaries of Semel district and Slevani plain. Due to low rainfall, there is a possibility that production will be 60% lower compared to last year,” he added.
On Monday, Iraq’s agriculture ministry said that most of Iraq’s central and southern areas are suffering from drought and the whole country has seen less rainfall in January compared to the same period last year.
According to the UN, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable to climate change, including water and food insecurity, facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste mismanagement.
The World Resources Institute places Iraq among 25 countries that face extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought.
