Amid Erbil-Baghdad Budget Row, Kurds Control the Water Taps

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Amid an Erbil-Baghdad oil war, the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is reportedly ignoring a request by Baghdad to increase water flow to irrigate agricultural areas in the center and south of the country.

The head of the Hawija district council, Hussein Salihi, has requested the federal government to ask the KRG to let the water of Dukan dam flow to irrigate wheat and barley farms.

Akram Ahmad Rasul, general director of dams and water storage in the KRG, told Rudaw that the farming areas of Iraq require water from Kurdistan for irrigation.

 "From Darbandikhan to Diyala, Jalawla, Khalis, Hamreen and from there to Baghdad and from Kirkuk, Hawija, Khurmatu, Samarra, Tikrit again to Baghdad and south depend on this water," said Rasul.

The reported request from Baghdad comes at a time when Baghdad has shut financing for the KRG by blocking monthly payments from the national budget that are needed for the day-to-day running of the regional government, such as paying the salaries of government workers. The move is part of a tactic by Baghdad to prevent Kurdish control over oil exports to Turkey and beyond.

Baghdad's refusal to send the money to Kurdistan has forced the KRG to employ its own pressure tools, such as over water.  Kurdistan's two major dams are used to irrigate most farms in Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin and Baghdad.

Dukan and Darbandikhan are located in Kurdistan’s Sulaimani province, and can hold up to 7.4 million cubic meters of water.

"Let them endure a water shortage; that's their problem," said Rasul, referring to farmers outside Kurdistan.

"We have not let the people of Kirkuk have issues over drinking water, but it’s not our problem any longer to provide water for Hawija and other areas," he said.

Ali Hashmi, spokesman of the ministry of water resources in Baghdad, said that, “Large farming areas of Iraq depend on water from Dukan, even those in the center and south."

He said that this year's agriculture plan envisages water for irrigation from Dukan.  "If the matter continues like this, we will face problems."

Meanwhile, Salhi said that Baghdad must find a solution for thousands of farmers who are suffering because of water shortages, otherwise many farming areas will be devastated.