Will the water situation improve in Iraq after joining the United Nations Water Convention?

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[size=52]Will the water situation improve in Iraq after joining the United Nations Water Convention?[/size]

[size=45]Saturday, 01-04-2023,
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Iraq, which suffers from a drought and water scarcity crisis as a result of neighboring countries reducing its share of water, has become the first country in the Middle East to accede to the Convention for the Protection and Use of Watercourses Transboundary and International Lakes (United Nations Water Convention), according to what The Ministry of Water Resources announced.
Iraq deposited a request to join the agreement during its participation in the New York Water Conference, which was joined by the international organization between March 22 and 24, and thus Iraq will be the 49th member of the agreement.
Rivers drying up
In clear evidence of the impact of severe weather caused by climate change and its repercussions on food security around the world, the drought that extends for the third year in a row has forced Iraq to halve the area of ​​its cultivated crops, according to a report published by
Iraq hopes that its membership in the agreement will contribute to solving part of its water problems at the national and regional levels, although the agreement does not include binding mechanisms for non-member states.
What is the agreement?
The Convention for the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, also known as “Helsinki”, is an agreement that began in 1992 between European countries to ensure equitable distribution of transboundary waters of lakes and rivers, work to rationalize the use of water resources at the national level and protect them from pollution, and impose Sanctions on countries that pollute water resources in the national or regional context.
In 2013, the agreement was amended to become an international agreement and the door was opened for countries to join it.
What benefits Iraq?
The Iraqi water expert, Tahseen Al-Moussawi, looks optimistically at the expected results of Iraq's accession to the agreement, and stresses: "Although the accession came late, the expected benefits are very great."
How can crises resulting from drought in Iraq be avoided?
Iraqi sources indicate that Iran has drained over the past years more than 40 rivers and tributaries that used to flow in Iraqi territory, by changing their course, including the Karun River, which feeds the Shatt al-Arab river in Basra.
The first of these benefits is represented in obligating Iraq to reform its internal home, as al-Moussawi explains in his interview with “Raise Your Voice.” He explains: “The agreement requires member states to reform the internal system before claiming external rights. Today, Iraq is required to solve the accumulated water problems by benefiting from the expertise that will be available to it as a member of the agreement, and to develop water policies that are appropriate to scientific progress in this field.”
Al-Moussawi reviews a number of problems facing the water file in Iraq at the internal level, and among those problems, Iraq continues to use classic agricultural systems that consume about 75 percent of the country's water without obtaining a real agricultural product, at a time when most countries in the world have begun to adopt agricultural systems. Modern systems contribute to the rationalization of water consumption, such as drip irrigation, and others. Mousavi explains.
And he continues: “The agreement will oblige Iraq to work to reduce abuses of water, prevent pollution to which it is frequently exposed, and raise the level of water culture among citizens for the purposes of rationalizing consumption and protecting water sources.”
Iraq.. if drought or flood!
A few months ago, Iraq was in the grip of a severe drought that affected about half of its arable lands, while about a week ago Iraq was swept by a massive flood wave that extended from north to south.
As for the regional problems represented by Turkey and Iran reducing Iraq's water share, Al-Moussawi goes to the possibility of achieving some positive results through the pressures that the international community can exert on Turkey and Iran to ensure the equitable distribution of water.
On the other hand, the international water expert, Abd al-Razzaq Aliwi, underestimates the possibility that Iraq's accession to the agreement will improve its share of water from rivers shared with Turkey and Iran.
Al-Alawi told Raise Your Voice, “The harshest thing that Iraq’s membership in the agreement can produce is political pressure on the neighboring countries from which the rivers originate, but it is non-binding pressure because those countries did not sign the agreement.”
Iraq is suffering from the worst drought in 40 years, according to United Nations data. The wave is the result of a record drop in precipitation. Water flows from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, which provide up to 98 percent of surface water in Iraq, have decreased.[/size]
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