Iraq to discuss water scarcity problem with Iran and Turkey

Officials in Baghdad are pushing for new deal with Tehran and Ankara to resolve shortages

The Tigris River in Baghdad. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers account for nearly 90 per cent of Iraq’s freshwater reserves. AFP

Iraq expects to hold a technical meeting with Iran and Turkey to resolve outstanding issues on water soon, the Ministry of Water Resources in Baghdad has said.

Officials from the three countries spoke on the sidelines of the third Baghdad Water Conference, held at the weekend, and agreed to hold “a specialised technical meeting in the near future” in an attempt to resolve Iraq’s water scarcity problem.

Dams built by Iran and Turkey in recent years have affected water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which account for nearly 90 per cent of Iraq’s freshwater reserves.

“We informed the two countries that we would like to get to a written agreement between us on this problem as circumstances have changed,” the undersecretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Raed Al Jashami, told the Iraq News Agency.

“Both sides interacted with Iraq’s requests calling for going forward with permanent agreements and cancelling the previous temporary deals,” Mr Al Jashami said.

A high-level Turkish technical delegation took part in the weekend conference and “was briefed on the impacts of water scarcity and understanding of Iraq’s need”, he added.

“The two sides understand the severity of the problems that Iraq is facing,” Mr Al Jashami said.

During the conference, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani appealed for “urgent international intervention” for Iraq.

“The issue of water has become a sensitive one not only in Iraq but in all countries,” Mr Al Sudani said.

“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.”