SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The head of the agriculture and water resources committee in the Iraq council of representatives said on Tuesday several governorates in Iraq are about to migrate due to a decrease in the country’s water resources.
The Head of the committee Thahir Mikheib al-Jubouri said Babil governorate is the most likely one to migrate due to the shortage of clean water.
Iraq’s main sources of water are the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, providing 98% of the country’s surface water.
Both rivers originate in Turkey, while the Euphrates passes through Syria, and some tributaries flow through Iran.
Turkey and Iran are holding back water to fill reservoirs behind dams that both countries have built in the past years.
“This is a serious matter that requires an urgent response from the government regarding the failure of sufficient water flow to reach Iraq,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday first Deputy Speaker of Iraqi Parliament Hakim al-Zamili said Iraq would boycott the Products from Iran and Turkey if the countries continue to prevent water flow into Iraq’s territory.
Iraq is dramatically suffering from water shortage, even in some provinces there is a huge obstacle to access to clean water, and officials are failed to provide an efficient reaction to the threats of climate change.
The country faces an extreme drought for the third year in a row due to low rainfalls, it is classified as one of the world’s five countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification.
Iraq is Thirsty and there is a high possibility that the government has failed to face the issue of the climate crisis, despite the concerns about environmental issues among the locals, political instability inside the country has worsened the situation twice.
