Fears of a scarcity of drinking water due to the disruption of negotiations with neighboring countri

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Fears of a scarcity of drinking water due to the disruption of negotiations with neighboring countries[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad/ Firas Adnan[/size]
[size=45]Iraq’s negotiations with the Turkish and Iranian sides regarding the water file are still stalled, with promises to hold meetings to discuss sharing the damage, but these promises have not been fulfilled until the present time. This comes while experts warn of a dangerous drought looming in the current storage with the possibility of a scarcity of drinking water During the next season in some provinces.[/size]
[size=45]Aoun Diab, a consultant to the Ministry of Water Resources, said that "the Tigris River, after the operation of the Turkish Ilisu Dam, changed its system and started to depend on the water that is released through it."[/size]
[size=45]Diab added, "Before that, the Tigris depended on the natural flow of the river," noting that "this change has a positive aspect represented in facing flood risks, but at the same time it has a negative aspect related to the lack of flows."[/size]
[size=45]He explained, "My personal opinion is that Iraq without the Ilisu Dam, its situation would be better," and he talked about "the possibility of storing water in the Mosul Dam and in the Tharthar Depression, with any quantities we receive from Turkey."[/size]
[size=45]Diab noted, "This is the will of the Turkish side, and we seek to negotiate with them in order to share the damage."[/size]
[size=45]He stressed, "A delegation from the Turkish side, headed by the representative of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was scheduled to visit Iraq after the Eid al-Fitr holiday."[/size]
[size=45]Diab expressed his regret, that "that visit did not take place until the present time," adding that "Iraq wants to talk with Turkish officials."[/size]
[size=45]And the government advisor added, "The Ministry of Water Resources approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out the reasons for not achieving this visit."[/size]
[size=45]As for the dialogues with the Iranian side regarding water, Diab said, "When Iranian Vice President Ali Seljuq came to Baghdad, we discussed with him and informed him of the water damage that Iraq is being exposed to."[/size]
[size=45]He added, "It was agreed that Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, concerned with water affairs, would visit Iraq for the purpose of continuing discussions to reach an agreement to share the damage caused by water scarcity."[/size]
[size=45]For his part, water expert, Adel Al-Mukhtar, stated that "the water storage has reached 20 billion cubic meters at the present time."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar added, "Iraq, according to official statements, spends 48 billion cubic meters annually," explaining that "the agricultural plan was reduced last year to 2.5 million acres."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The plan for this year is expected to reduce only 1.5 dunams." He stated, "Iraq has been suffering from drought for three years, and the question is what if the next winter is also dry?"[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar pointed out that “the answer is, according to the current data, that it is difficult to provide drinking water in Diyala and Zaheeb rivers, with the possibility of stopping the agricultural plan.”[/size]
[size=45]And he finds, "The water situation is very dangerous," stressing that "Iraq wastes large amounts of water, and one of the forms of waste is the use of old irrigation systems." He believed that "the expenditure of 48 billion cubic meters is an exaggeration."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar called for “a reconsideration of agricultural policy because it is the one that consumes more water than other fields,” and advised that “negotiations between the relevant ministries should be on the quantities of water available and not on the basis of the cultivated lands.”[/size]
[size=45]And he stated, "Iraq is facing a challenge related to preserving storage, and we are building a plan whose quantities will range from 10 to 15 billion cubic meters, not 48 billion cubic meters."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar spoke about “the need to establish a higher council for agriculture and water, because we are facing a clear difference between the policies of the ministries concerned with the water and agriculture file.”[/size]
[size=45]He stated, "This council includes a group of experts who are in charge of setting the state's water and agricultural policies, because we have entered the stage of danger."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mukhtar concluded, “Resorting to reduce water releases during the current time due to the absence of an agricultural season shows the seriousness of the situation and is evidence that our reserves are few and require preservation and are not released in the usual manner except during the agricultural seasons.”[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that Iraq suffers from a severe water crisis as a result of insufficient rainfall during the last winter season, in addition to the water policies of neighboring countries towards Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi government intends to host a meeting in Baghdad, attended by representatives of a number of countries in the region, to discuss various environmental issues, including sharing the water damage that caused the drying up of many waterways in Iraq, especially in Diyala Governorate.[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]