Iraq's Battle Against Water Pollution: Strategies And Challenges

Water scarcity and pollution are critical issues in Iraq, threatening lives, development, and stability. With rising food demand, urbanization, poor water management, and the impacts of climate change, Iraq's water crisis has led to widespread public unrest and conflicts over access to water. While the country has taken some steps to address the crisis, including partnering with the UN and proposing significant investments, ineffective governance, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of regional cooperation have hindered progress. The situation in Basra, where water pollution hospitalized 118,000 people in 2018, exemplifies the urgent need for safe drinking water and proper water management in Iraq.

Iraq's water infrastructure is outdated, with a large amount of water lost to inefficiency and waste

Iraq's water infrastructure is outdated and in need of significant investment and modernisation. The country's water sector suffers from a lack of funding and coordination, with successive governments neglecting wastewater infrastructure, which has led to frequent water contamination.

About 80% of Iraq's water is used in the agricultural sector, which relies on inefficient irrigation methods and dilapidated infrastructure. Medium- and large-scale irrigation projects can be found along Iraq's rivers, including extensive irrigation canals and pumping systems. However, the infrastructure is largely outdated and in disrepair, with pumping stations in particular needing upgrades. The Jazeera Irrigation Project in the Nineveh governorate, for example, draws water directly from the Tigris and the Mosul Dam reservoir and will irrigate more than 1 million dunam when fully developed.

Iraq's water treatment infrastructure consists of water treatment plants, compact units, and solar plants that treat surface water. However, conventional treatment plants are unable to remove certain contaminants, and the lack of water treatment facilities at Iraqi refineries has led to pollution from oil installations. The country's extensive reservoir network is crucial for managing water resources, with dams operated in three independent systems to manage water distribution and provide downstream flood protection. While these dams are essential for flood control, they have also contributed to low water levels, sediment buildup, erosion, and harm to local fisheries.

The poor management of upstream sources, inadequate regulation of pollution and sewage, and chronic neglect of water infrastructure have led to the deterioration of water quality in waterways such as the Shatt al-Arab river and its freshwater canals. This has had severe consequences for the residents of Basra, who have suffered from the absence of safe tap water for decades. The reduced quantity of water coming from upstream has also led to seawater intrusion, further degrading water quality.

The agricultural sector uses 80% of Iraq's water, relying on inefficient irrigation methods

Water scarcity is a pressing issue in Iraq, with the level of scarcity being described as "alarming". The country's water woes can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including rising food demand, urbanization, poor water management, and climate change. One of the main sectors affected by water scarcity is agriculture, which consumes about 80% of Iraq's water resources. The high water usage in agriculture is due to the low irrigation efficiency, estimated at only 30-40%. This inefficiency leads to significant water losses from irrigation canals and the use of flood irrigation, an outdated method that is no longer suitable for a context of water scarcity.

The agricultural sector's heavy reliance on irrigation water makes it extremely vulnerable to droughts. For example, the droughts in 2008 and 2009 damaged almost 40% of Iraq's cropland, with Ninewa and Erbil experiencing over 50% damage. The threat of drought is compounded by the increasing demand for irrigation water for wheat cultivation, which expanded by 33% between 2000 and 2010.

To address the country's water challenges, Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources adopted an aggressive strategy in 2014 to sustainably manage its water resources. However, the proposed $184 billion in investments and reforms over two decades never materialized. Instead, Iraqi politicians shifted the blame upstream, particularly towards Turkey's water policies, which have had significant downstream effects on Iraq.

The failure to implement meaningful reforms and improve water management practices has had severe consequences for Iraq's agricultural sector and the country's overall development. It has also fueled public unrest, with water scarcity and pollution sparking violent protests and threatening to escalate into larger conflicts between tribes over access to irrigation sources.

To avert a full-blown water crisis and mitigate the impact on the agricultural sector, Iraq needs to embark on major reforms. This includes addressing infrastructure deterioration, outdated irrigation systems, inefficient water use, and poor governance. By prioritizing water governance and adopting sustainable practices, Iraq can better manage its water resources and secure the country's food production and overall development.

Water scarcity has fuelled public unrest, with water pollution hospitalising 118,000 people in 2018

Water scarcity and pollution have been persistent problems in Iraq for decades, with the former threatening lives and development in the country. In 2018, these issues culminated in a full-blown crisis, with at least 118,000 people hospitalized due to water pollution. The crisis was the result of multiple factors, including poor water management, inadequate regulation of pollution and sewage, and chronic neglect and mismanagement of water infrastructure.

The Shatt al-Arab river and its freshwater canals are the primary water sources for Basra, a city in southern Iraq with a population of roughly 4 million. For almost 30 years, including during the period of occupation by the US- and UK-led Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraqi authorities have failed to properly manage and regulate the country's water resources. This has resulted in the people of Basra being deprived of their right to safe drinking water.

The water coming from upstream has become increasingly polluted with contaminants that conventional treatment plants cannot remove. As a result, Basra residents have had to rely on purchasing water for drinking and cooking, which has been a financial burden, especially for poorer residents. The high cost of purchasing water has made them more vulnerable to exposure to unsafe tap water.

The poor water quality in Basra has had a significant impact on the health of its residents, with at least 118,000 people hospitalized in 2018 due to symptoms related to water quality. The actual number of those who became ill is likely much higher, as the official count only includes those who went to government-run facilities. The crisis has also led to violent protests against the government's incompetence in managing the water sector.

The water scarcity and pollution issues in Iraq are complex and require urgent attention from the authorities. The country's water sector suffers from a lack of funding and coordination, with outdated infrastructure and inefficient irrigation methods contributing to the problem. Climate change is also a contributing factor, with declining precipitation and changing weather patterns leading to water shortages. It is crucial for the Iraqi government to address these issues and guarantee access to safe water for all its citizens, especially the most vulnerable communities.

The Iraqi government has failed to regulate pollution and sewage, neglecting water infrastructure

Iraq's water crisis is a result of complex factors, including poor governance, corruption, conflict, and inadequate water management practices. The Iraqi government has indeed failed to adequately regulate pollution and sewage, neglecting water infrastructure, which has had severe consequences for the country's citizens.

Basra, Iraq's primary source of dates, wheat, barley, and rice, has been particularly affected by water scarcity and pollution. In 2018, at least 118,000 people were hospitalized due to waterborne illnesses, with symptoms such as norovirus, giardia, cryptosporidium, and e. coli, likely caused by sewage and agricultural and industrial pollution. The high salinity of the water may have also contributed to the outbreak. The Shatt al-Arab river, which flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and is the main source of surface water for the region, has seen a decrease in flow, causing a spike in water salinity and increased pollution.

The Iraqi government's failure to regulate pollution and sewage has been ongoing for decades. In 2020, Human Rights Watch reported that Iraqi authorities had "failed to properly manage and regulate Iraq's water resources," with multiple government failures since the 1980s, including inadequate regulation of pollution and sewage and neglect of water infrastructure. This has resulted in Basra residents having to purchase water for drinking and cooking, threatening farmers' livelihoods, and putting vulnerable communities at risk of exposure to unsafe tap water.

The agricultural sector in Iraq, which consumes about 80% of the country's water, still relies on inefficient irrigation methods and dilapidated infrastructure. The government has failed to invest in modernizing these systems, leading to frequent water contamination and inefficient water use. Successive governments have neglected wastewater infrastructure, and there is a lack of regulation on consumption and pollution, contributing to rising inequality between Iraqis upstream and those downstream.

In 2014, Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources acknowledged the severity of the water crisis, commissioning a water security strategy that called for $184 billion in investments and reforms over two decades. However, these investments never materialized, and the country's internal divisions and lack of coordination have further exacerbated the problem. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), for example, is pursuing a water management strategy that is largely independent of Baghdad, focusing on building and renovating dams, which negatively impacts the rest of the country downstream.

The UN is championing sustainable transboundary water management, fostering regional cooperation

Iraq is facing a water crisis, with water scarcity threatening lives and development in the country. The level of water scarcity in Iraq is alarming, with nearly 3 out of 5 children in Iraq lacking access to safely managed water services. This situation has been exacerbated by rising food demand, urbanization, poor water management, and the effects of climate change, such as reduced rainfall and the deterioration of freshwater quality.

In response to this crisis, the UN is championing sustainable transboundary water management in Iraq, fostering regional cooperation and equitable water use. This is done through integrated initiatives by different UN agencies, such as UNESCO and FAO, which work together to enhance water governance and improve water use efficiency. By merging traditional wisdom with modern technology, these agencies empower farmers to optimize water consumption, improve water management, and boost agricultural resilience, contributing to a more sustainable food system.

One example of the UN's initiatives is the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) initiative in Sinjar, which aims to improve water access. Another is UNICEF's desalination systems in Ninewa, which provide safe and accessible water to vulnerable communities. These efforts not only directly improve livelihoods but also contribute to stability and prosperity in the region.

The UN's National Water Policy Dialogue serves as a platform for inclusive discussions, learning from international best practices, and crafting comprehensive water policy frameworks. This ensures that water management remains a top priority in the upcoming UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2025-2029), a roadmap agreed upon with the Iraqi government for sustainable development.

Additionally, Iraq has acceded to the UN Water Convention, a unique international legal and intergovernmental framework. This convention aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation across borders. Iraq's accession opens new opportunities to enhance transboundary water cooperation in the Middle East, as it is the first country in the region to join the convention.

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