Iraq on Saturday called for emergency assistance from the international community to help restore the flow of water in the country's two main rivers.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani made the plea for “urgent international intervention” at the start of the two-day Baghdad International Water conference.
“The issue of water has become a sensitive one not only in Iraq but in all countries,” Mr Al Sudani said.
Water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which account for more than 90 per cent of Iraq's freshwater reserves, have declined significantly over the years, partly as a result of the construction of dams and diversion of water upstream in Turkey and Iran.
The Prime Minister warned that a shortage of water compounded by climate change would have a substantial impact on Iraq's economic development and environment, with wider ramifications for regional stability.
Mr Al Sudani said water scarcity had an impact on internal and external security “as it affects the existence of different human activities, whether in agriculture, industry or life”.
“Iraq is one of the countries that reels under the impact of the climate change and its environment has seen substantial effects that have had economic and social impacts,” he added.
Iraq has the world's fifth-largest proven oil reserves but it also ranks fifth among countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the UN.
The country's water problems have been growing worse for decades as a result of climate change, mismanagement and pollution.
Moreover, successive wars have degraded its water infrastructure, leading to losses and inefficient distribution.
These factors, combined with an outdated centuries-old water management system, have “led us to this sensitive point in the water issue at the time of climate change”, Mr Al Sudani said.
He warned that overlooking the water issue “will cause Iraq to lose the elements of development and will lead to a strategically dangerous area.”
Iraq is experiencing its worst drought in decades, with temperatures exceeding 50°C last summer. Many of its lakes have shrunk or dried up completely.
The Tigris and Euphrates currently receive less than 30 per cent of their normal flow from Turkey and Iran, Deputy Environment Minister Jassim Al Falahi said last month.
Mr Al Sudani said the rivers, along whose banks Mesopotamian civilisations flourished, not only “represent Iraq but they are global and human heritage, and their disappearance means that the memory of history and civilisation will lose a lot”.
“To save the Tigris and Euphrates we need an urgent international intervention from countries and organisations to help Iraq in this sensitive period of the history of its great rivers,” he said.
'Tough summer'
Early in April Turkey began releasing more water into the Tigris for a period of one month at the request of the Iraqi government.
Iraq's Water Resources Ministry said Ankara was releasing 1,500 cubic metres per second, doubling the previous amount.
Minister of Water and Resources Aoun Diab said the drought the country saw last year was the worst since 1930, hailing the Turkish government move.
He did not say whether that deal has been extended but said Iraq was looking for more co-operation.
“There is an understanding from the Turkish side, but we hope to see that on the ground,” Mr Diab told the audience without elaborating.
The minister warned that the country will face “big challenges” in the summer in regard to water availability but gave assurances that the government will take the necessary measures.
“The summer will be a tough one,” he said. “For sure, there will be a tough challenge, but God willing, we can deal with it during the summer.
“We have taken measures and will consider more on how to divide this limited amount [of water] fairly for all consumers.”
Regional security
Desertification affects 39 per cent of the country and 54 per cent of agricultural land has degraded, mainly due to soil salinity caused by historically low water levels in the two rivers and reduced rainfall.
Agriculture Minister Abbas Al Ali painted a bleak picture.
The amount of land dedicated for strategic crops — wheat, rice and corn — and irrigated from the rivers decreased by more than 50 per cent since 2021, Mr Al Ali said.
For wheat, the land went down from 4.5 million dunams (450,000 hectares) in 2021 to 1.5 million dunams (150,000 hectares) in 2023.
The land for corn and rice decreased from 574,000 dunams (57,400 hectares) and 393,000 dunams (39,300 hectares) respectively three years ago to 10,000 dunams (1,000 hectares) now.
“That is alarming,” he told a discussion panel. “These crops represent an opportunity for creating jobs, decreasing unemployment, maintaining social security and civil peace for this country.”
He warned that the ramifications could reach neighbouring countries.
“The stability of Iraq and the availability of water to refresh its agriculture sector is a stability to this region which already faces a lot of challenges,” he said.
“It also contributes to the protection of the interests of neighbouring countries so we hope that there will be serious co-operation to help Iraq to implement its plans and projects, especially in water and agriculture.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets