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Iraq
Iraq’s water scarcity is evident in the parched landscape of Diyala province. File photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Water levels in the Tigris River should improve in the next few days as Iraq continues to negotiate the vital water file with neighbours Turkey and Iran, the minister of water resources said on Sunday.
“Meetings and work are continuing with the Iranian and Turkish sides in regard to Iraq’s water share,” Minister Aoun Diab told Iraqi state media. Baghdad has invited Iran to attend the third Baghdad water conference next month and they expect a Turkish technical delegation to visit soon to work on implementing a recent agreement struck between their countries.
Turkey has built large dams on both Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, leading to a significant decrease in the flow of the shared rivers. A visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to Turkey in March saw measurable success after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to double the amount of water released from dams on the Tigris River for a period of one month to relieve Iraq’s distress.
“Iraq invited the Turkish delegation to visit it for the purpose of continuing discussions on activating the memorandum of understanding that was previously signed between the two countries in this field, which entered into force and was ratified by Turkish and Iraqi parliamentarians,” said Diab.
Water scarcity is a severe issue in drought-stricken Iraq. The country is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. The issue is exacerbated by Turkish and Iranian dams on rivers that flow into Iraq, cutting off the increasingly dry nation from much-needed water.
“Meetings and work are continuing with the Iranian and Turkish sides in regard to Iraq’s water share,” Minister Aoun Diab told Iraqi state media. Baghdad has invited Iran to attend the third Baghdad water conference next month and they expect a Turkish technical delegation to visit soon to work on implementing a recent agreement struck between their countries.
Turkey has built large dams on both Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, leading to a significant decrease in the flow of the shared rivers. A visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to Turkey in March saw measurable success after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to double the amount of water released from dams on the Tigris River for a period of one month to relieve Iraq’s distress.
“Iraq invited the Turkish delegation to visit it for the purpose of continuing discussions on activating the memorandum of understanding that was previously signed between the two countries in this field, which entered into force and was ratified by Turkish and Iraqi parliamentarians,” said Diab.
Water scarcity is a severe issue in drought-stricken Iraq. The country is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. The issue is exacerbated by Turkish and Iranian dams on rivers that flow into Iraq, cutting off the increasingly dry nation from much-needed water.
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