Iraq and Turkey sign 'historic' water management deal

Accord aims to tackle severe drought and boost regional co-operation

A dredger along the exposed riverbed of the Tigris River in central Baghdad on October 21. AFP

Iraq on Sunday signed a significant water agreement with Turkey, paving the way for joint projects to manage and conserve water resources and mitigate the devastating effects of drought.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani oversaw a ceremony in Baghdad for the agreement, which was signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The agreement will be "one of the sustainable solutions to the water crisis in Iraq through large joint projects that will be implemented in the water sector", Mr Al Sudani said.

"The water crisis is a global crisis, and Iraq is one of the countries that has been harmed by it," he said. He added that the deal would strengthen ties with Turkey in several fields.

Mr Fidan described the agreement as “important and historic and the first of its kind”. He added: “After long years, Turkey and Iraq are co-operating on water.”

Further details of the agreement, which were first discussed during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Baghdad last year, are yet to be revealed.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, visited his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Baghdad. AP

Mr Al Sudani's adviser on water issues, Torhan Al Mufti hailed the agreement as a “historic” move to guarantee Iraq's water supply and develop it infrastructure in the sector.

“What was signed today, in fact, a historic document that includes many details and specifics on the mechanism of water co-operation between Iraq and Turkey,” Mr Al Mufti told The National.

“It contains very important sections, including how to achieve water sustainability in Iraq and how to build modern water infrastructure projects,” he said.

Asked whether ministers agreed on a specific amount of water to be released to Iraq, he said: “It’s not feasible to mention numbers because numbers are subject to change, but the important thing is to ensure sustainable water share for Iraq”. He declined to give more details.

Continuous heatwaves in summer have highlighted Iraq’s vulnerability to climate change, with the UN ranking it as the fifth most nation. Iraq has also endured its worst drought in decades, and summer temperatures, particularly in July and August, often soar above 50°C.

This year, Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources said the country’s reserves were at their lowest levels in 80 years after a dry rainy season as its intake from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has shrunk. Authorities also blame upstream dams built in neighbouring Iran and Turkey for lowering the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates, which have irrigated Iraq for thousands of years.

For decades, Iraq has failed to convince either country to reach agreements on how to ensure a fair share of water. Both argue that they, too, suffer from scarcity of water and that Iraq uses outdated irrigation methods.

In April last year, Iraq and Turkey agreed to boost co-operation during an official visit by Mr Erdogan to Baghdad. Among several projects was a 10-year agreement on management of water resources aimed at ensuring Iraq receives a fair share of water flowing from its two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates.

It included provisions for the two countries to share expertise in farming and irrigation, and to use Iraqi oil revenue to establish a fund for water and agriculture projects involving Turkish companies.