Water scarcity pushes Iraq to send a delegation to Turkey to determine its annual quota

[size=52]Water scarcity pushes Iraq to send a delegation to Turkey to determine its annual quota[/size]

[size=45]Despite the recent rains and torrents that swept Iraq, the water scarcity still exists, which prompted the Ministry of Water Resources to prepare to send a delegation to Turkey to follow up on the memorandum of understanding that was recently reached on a clear formula that determines Iraq's water share from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Adviser to the Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab, said that "an Iraqi delegation will visit Turkey to demand the fixing of an annual quota of the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates."[/size]
[size=45]Diab indicated that his ministry "presented plans and a strategic study, and it needs to secure a large cash block to implement 3 solutions represented in engineering works to change the irrigation system currently in force in Iraq, and secondly to rehabilitate the existing projects implemented before they go to extinction, and thirdly, to establish irrigation networks through closed irrigation." He continued, "The use of water in agriculture as currently in force causes a great waste, and therefore a proposed law must be enacted by us entitled (Modern Irrigation), which obliges the farmer to install a modern irrigation system in exchange for providing support to the farmer, provided that no support is given to those who do not need any support." The World Bank had warned Iraq that the water would not reach a third of the irrigated lands in 2050, if the temperature rose by one degree Celsius, as expected. And the World Bank issued a report, stating that by 2050, the temperature will increase by 1 degree Celsius, and the precipitation will decrease by 10%, which would cause a decrease in available fresh water by about 20%, and under these conditions, the water will not reach to nearly a third of Iraq’s irrigated land by 2050. He added that the financial recovery has been somewhat diminished due to severe water shortages and widespread power cuts after historically low rainfall, affecting the agriculture and industry sectors, and health care services also deteriorated amid An increasing number of coronavirus cases. The World Bank continued that, it is important for Iraq to deal with water scarcity and the deteriorating water quality in rivers and groundwater, calling for radical reforms of the sector to seize opportunities and manage risks. He added that the financial recovery was somewhat diminished due to severe water shortages and widespread power cuts after historically low rainfall, which affected the agriculture and industry sectors, and health care services also deteriorated amid a growing number of coronavirus cases. The World Bank continued that, it is important for Iraq to deal with water scarcity and the deteriorating water quality in rivers and groundwater, calling for radical reforms of the sector to seize opportunities and manage risks. He added that the financial recovery was somewhat diminished due to severe water shortages and widespread power cuts after historically low rainfall, which affected the agriculture and industry sectors, and health care services also deteriorated amid a growing number of coronavirus cases. The World Bank continued that, it is important for Iraq to deal with water scarcity and the deteriorating water quality in rivers and groundwater, calling for radical reforms of the sector to seize opportunities and manage risks.[/size]
[size=45]A 20% reduction in Iraq's water supply and the associated crop yield reductions that may accompany climate change could reduce Iraq's real GDP by as much as 4%, or $6.6 billion. In turn, the water and agricultural expert, Adel Al-Mukhtar, believes that "the visit of an Iraqi delegation to Turkey will be a positive and important step if it achieves the results that the ministry seeks by addressing the scarcity."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The Ministry of Water Resources must have a clear strategy for water management, based on storing half of the water coming to Iraq," calling for "a reconsideration of agricultural policy."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar added, "The Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture are still using the old irrigation systems, which in turn lead to wasting large amounts of water, in addition to cultivating some crops using primitive methods."[/size]
[size=45]The specialist in agricultural and water affairs pointed out, "Iraq is still using the old irrigation systems, which in turn lead to the waste of large quantities of water, in addition to the cultivation of some crops by primitive methods." The Ministry of Water Resources had announced the possibility of using water storage in dams due to the scarcity of revenues, noting that it would adhere to “water releases to cover the need according to the agricultural plan, in addition to water releases to secure other needs, including liquefaction stations (drinking water), as well as the marshes and salt tongue. Basra, as well as health and hydroelectric uses.[/size]
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