Iraq's Water Pollution: Who Is To Blame?

Water pollution in Iraq has been a persistent problem for decades, with the quality of water sources deteriorating due to poor management, inadequate regulation of pollution, and chronic neglect of infrastructure. In 2018, a health crisis emerged in Basra, where residents have long suffered from a lack of safe tap water, with at least 118,000 people hospitalized due to water quality issues. While Iraqi authorities have been blamed for failing to address water pollution, they have also shifted blame upstream to neighboring countries like Iran and Turkey, while taking steps to improve water quality, such as developing treatment plants and strengthening the water and sanitation system.

Iraqi authorities' failure to manage water resources

Iraqi authorities have failed to properly manage and regulate the country's water resources, depriving people in southern Iraq's Basra governorate of their right to safe drinking water for decades. Basra's primary water sources are the Shatt al-Arab river and its freshwater canals. However, multiple government failures since the 1980s have caused the quality of these waterways to deteriorate.

One of the main issues is the poor management of upstream sources and a lack of regulations on consumption and pollution. This has led to rising inequality between Iraqis with access to water upstream and those facing scarcity downstream. The Iraqi government's water policy seems outdated, as the country's dam network was built to manage flooding and an abundance of water, not water scarcity. In 2014, Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources even commissioned a water security strategy that called for significant reforms and investments to prevent a water crisis. However, these investments never materialized, and Iraq’s water problems have only worsened.

The inadequate management of water resources has resulted in rivers and freshwater canals failing to deliver adequate quantities of water with sufficient quality to the governorate’s public treatment plants. Over 300,000 Basra governorate residents are not connected to the water and sewage network, leading to groundwater contamination and illegal tapping into the piping network. Corruption within local businesses and governmental institutions has hindered engineering solutions from being implemented on time.

The water pollution in Iraq is a serious issue, with rivers contaminated by sewage, oil residues, agricultural fertilizers, and medical wastes. This has led to various diseases, including different types of cancer. The failure to address water pollution persists despite federal budgets passed by the Iraqi legislature. The increasing population and rising levels of water pollution, combined with deteriorating water filtering infrastructure, further exacerbate the problem.

To address the water crisis, local and federal authorities should form an independent water and environment task force with the authority to monitor the situation, coordinate actions, and consult with impacted populations. This task force should work to implement Iraq’s obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to water. It should also make public the findings of reports from the 2018 health crisis and develop long-term plans to prevent and respond to future water crises.

Sewage and agricultural and industrial pollution

Iraq's water crisis has been decades in the making, with Iraqi authorities failing to properly manage and regulate the country's water resources. The primary water sources for Basra, Iraq's third-largest city, are the Shatt al-Arab river and its freshwater canals. However, poor management of upstream sources, inadequate regulation of pollution, and chronic neglect of water infrastructure have led to a deterioration in water quality.

Sewage and wastewater pollution are significant contributors to Iraq's water crisis. Human and animal sewage, as well as garbage and oil residues, contaminate water sources and encourage the growth of harmful algae. The high salinity of the water, caused by a decrease in the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, further exacerbates the problem. This has led to water that is unsuitable for drinking, cooking, and even washing, with Basrans being forced to purchase water for basic needs.

Agricultural practices also play a role in water pollution in Iraq. Agricultural runoff, including soil contaminated with fertilizers and irrigation water mixed with sewage, pollutes freshwater sources. The use of pesticides and other chemicals in agriculture can also contribute to water contamination, leading to harmful algal blooms and increasing the likelihood of bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections.

Industrial pollution is another factor in Iraq's water crisis. Industrial waste, including oil and medical wastes, is often disposed of in rivers, further contaminating water sources. The combination of industrial, agricultural, and sewage pollution has led to episodes of waterborne diseases, including bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, as well as increases in cancer rates.

The Iraqi government has been criticized for its failure to address the water pollution crisis, despite having the resources to do so. Local and federal authorities have been urged to implement measures to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to water for all Iraqis, especially those in Basra who have been disproportionately affected by the water crisis.

Inadequate water treatment infrastructure

In Iraq, water treatment infrastructure has been inadequate for decades, with residents of Basra, in particular, suffering from a lack of access to safe drinking water. Basra's primary water sources are the Shatt al-Arab river and its freshwater canals, but government failures have led to the deterioration of these waterways. This includes poor management of upstream sources, inadequate regulation of pollution and sewage, and chronic neglect and mismanagement of water infrastructure.

The water crisis in Basra became particularly acute in the summer of 2018, when at least 118,000 people were hospitalized with symptoms related to water quality. The water in the Shatt al-Arab waterway has become contaminated with wastes and sewage, leading to the deposition of heavy metals and the impact of fish stocks and trees. The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights has identified a range of diseases resulting from water pollution, including anemia, botulism, cholera, microbial diarrhea, and salmonellosis.

The inadequate water treatment infrastructure in Iraq is due to a combination of factors, including poor governance, corruption, and a lack of investment in upgrading and maintaining water treatment facilities. For example, the Great Basra Water Project has been plagued by delays due to corruption, and key water treatment plants supplying Basra are understaffed and under-resourced. Clientelist practices have also been cited as a factor disrupting and delaying the upgrading of water infrastructure. In addition, the privatization of public resources has made it more difficult for the government to invest in and improve water treatment infrastructure.

Climate change has also played a role in Iraq's water crisis, with upstream damming and reduced water flow downstream affecting both water quality and quantity. However, Iraqi politicians have been accused of scapegoating external factors, such as upstream neighbors, rather than addressing the internal mismanagement of water resources. The Iraqi government has been urged by organizations such as the NRC to take steps to more effectively monitor, regulate, and allocate the country's water resources and to accelerate the development of climate adaptation and resilience programming.

Climate change and reduced rainfall

Iraq is one of the world's most environmentally vulnerable countries, and its water resources are particularly threatened by climate change. The country is projected to be among the five nations hardest hit by the impact of climate change.

The combination of rising temperatures, declining precipitation rates, altered distribution patterns, salinity, and evaporation is causing acute water stress in Iraq. The decrease in precipitation rates and increase in temperatures will lead to a decline in water flow of between 25% and 50%, according to models. This will have a detrimental impact on agriculture and human health.

The Tigris-Euphrates River System and its watershed account for 98% of Iraq's surface water. However, the river system's catchment area, where rainfall flows into bodies of water, has shrunk due to reduced rainfall. From 1990 to 2014, the desert area in Iraq increased by 5%, and as of 2022, 39% of the country's land was affected by desertification.

The Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq, an essential ecosystem for both animals and humans, have deteriorated due to anthropogenic factors and climate change. Sea level rise, water salinization, and long dry periods have left 70% of the marshes devoid of water as of 2023.

The impact of climate change in Iraq is closely linked to water scarcity, and both are fueling the growth of new types of violence. The country's population is projected to reach 80 million by 2050, while resources are decreasing. The loss of agricultural livelihoods in water-scarce regions has already led to migration and local-level disputes over water sharing.

Upstream dams and water diversion

Iraq's water woes can be attributed to a combination of factors, including upstream damming and water diversion by its neighbours, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which provide water to Iraq, originate in Turkey and flow through Syria and Iran before reaching the country. The construction of dams and hydraulic projects on these rivers by upstream countries has reduced water flow to Iraq, compromising water supply for irrigation, drinking, and industrial purposes. Iraq's own ageing network of dams, which were built to manage flooding, have become inadequate in the face of decreasing water levels.

Turkey's GAP dam-building project, which includes 22 dams and 19 power plants, is a significant concern for Iraq's water security. In particular, the newly constructed Ilisu Dam will give Turkey considerable control over water flows in the Tigris. Additionally, dams on the Euphrates River in Syria and Turkey pose a threat to Iraq's water supply. The excessive construction of dams along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is estimated to have reduced inflow to Iraq by 30-40%.

Iran's dam construction and water diversion have also impacted water flow into Iraq. In August 2023, Iran significantly reduced the flows of the Sirwan and Little Zab rivers, which cross the Iran-Iraq border. This followed years of depleted flows from upstream Iranian dam sites in the Zagros Mountains. Iran's actions have contributed to water mismanagement and diplomatic tensions in the region.

The reduction in water flow from upstream has had severe consequences for Iraq. The Shatt al-Arab river, which is the primary source of water for the Basra region, has experienced significant seawater intrusion due to decreased freshwater inflow. This has rendered the water unsuitable for drinking and cooking, forcing residents to purchase water and farmers to irrigate their lands with saline water, damaging crops and livelihoods.

The water scarcity in Iraq has led to social and economic issues, including rising unemployment, poverty, and population growth in urban areas. It has also contributed to inter-tribal conflicts, with accusations of upstream tribes restricting water flows or taking more than their allocated quotas. The Iraqi government has faced criticism and protests over its failure to address the water crisis effectively, with protestors blaming poor governance and corruption for the lack of access to safe drinking water.

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