Iraqi President calls for initiative to revive Iraq
Iraqi President Barham Salih and Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rashid. Iraqi News Agency image.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi President Barham Salih called for an initiative to revive Iraq during his meeting on Monday with Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rashid in the al-Salam Palace in Baghdad, to discuss the water situation in the country, and the decrease of water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
According to a press statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency, Salih confirmed that the Iraq’s water situation must be prioritized as it represents one of the important national security issues.
The statement added that Salih stressed the need to communicate with the neighboring countries to organize water relations, consider the common interests, and not to harm Iraq.
The president emphasized the need to protect water bodies, maintain dams, and develop strategic plans in which governmental institutions participate, in coordination with international expertise, to face the crises of drought, desertification and climate change, which have become a global crisis affecting countries, especially in the Middle East.
On the other hand, Rashid explained the water situation in the country, and the plans developed to face water challenges in the country, especially with the decline of rains in the current season and the drought crisis. The minister also talked about the ongoing dialogues with the neighboring countries regarding Iraq’s share of water.
According to Sot al-Iraq news website, the agricultural plan in Iraq was reduced to 50 percent but some reports warn that some Iraqi governorates may face a crisis related to drinking water.
According to Sot al-Iraq news, Aoun Diab, Adviser to the Minister of Water Resources, explained that the recent rains do not represent 500 billion cubic meters of the amount of water Iraq could get from these rains either from Mosul Dam or Dukan Dam.
Diad also indicated that Turkey had promised to release sufficient amounts of water to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to help Iraq face water scarcity particularly in summer.
On the other hand, water and agricultural expert, Adi al-Mukhtar, stated that the water crisis Iraq witnesses is a result of poor management. He added that the decline in water levels in the rivers during this time is natural and is meant to preserve water reserves, Sot al-Iraq news website reported.
Al-Mukhtar also said that Turkey cannot support Iraq in its water crisis because it does not have enough water to cover its own needs.