Iraq becomes first Middle Eastern country to join UN Water Convention

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq made history as the first country in the Middle East to join the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention), according to a statement issued by the United Nations.

Iraq became the 49^th party to this unique international legal and intergovernmental framework, which aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation across borders, the statement mentioned.

19 of the 22 Arab countries are considered water scarce. Nearly all Arab States draw upon transboundary water resources that cross one or more international boundaries, the statement explained.

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Basins are the most important sources of surface water for some 237 million people across Iraq (43.5 million), Iran (88 million), Syria (21 million) and Turkey (85 million), the statement clarified.

The rivers system, including their many tributaries, is essential to Iraq, and its riparian States. But competing needs of water for irrigation, drinking water supply, industry, hydropower production and the environment, combined with diminishing water quantity and deteriorating water quality, pose difficult management challenges, the statement elaborated.

These challenges are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.

Facing high water stress, Iraq is experiencing mounting social, economic and political pressures due to water scarcity, according to the statement.

Low rainfall, increasing temperatures and reductions in the country’s surface water have all led to critically low levels of water in Iraq in recent years, the statement illustrated.

Transboundary cooperation is therefore increasingly important to promote sound management of the country’s transboundary water resources, to contribute to its sustainable development and to enhance regional stability and peace, the statement added.