Iraq's water reserves fall by nearly half - in pictures
A boy untangles a net as he stands fishing in an almost dried-up stream in Mishkhab, in Najaf province, Iraq, where years of drought have depleted the fauna and flora. All photos: AFP
Ducks gather and a water buffalo cools down in a stream in Mishkhab, Iraq
Waterways in Mishkhab are more thoroughfares than sources of vital supplies as poor winter rains fail to replenish groundwater
Children continued to play in the streams and rivers of Mishkhab despite nature's inability to provide them with adequate water
As children who live by the rivers and streams of Mishkhab grow, so their natural heritage is depleted
An almost dried-up stream flows between fields in Mishkhab, in Najaf province
