According to FAO’s El Hadj Hassan, more than 2,000 families were forced to abandon their homes from the beginning of last summer until the end of October due to the receding wetlands. Some have moved to wetlands, while others have abandoned their traditional way of life and moved to cities such as Basra and Baghdad.
Tensions are rising among those remaining in the wetlands, and security consultants believe water scarcity, especially the loss of wetlands, could have national security implications.Former Risk Analyst at G4S Consulting According to Eimear Hennessy from high” — militia and terrorist groups — groups that “promise an attractive future”.
According to Nature Iraq, recent wetland drying has caused a collapse in wildlife diversity, plunging the population of binni, a brownish-golden fish prized by Marsh Arabs. “His 2,000 officially registered fishermen have lost their source of income and are now unemployed,” Salehadi of the Dhiqar Agriculture Department said in October.
Before the drought, the Marble Teal Duck, which is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, was found in swamps, as well as the endangered Basrah Warbler and the native Iraqi bubbler. seemed to thrive in But as water levels have dropped, these birds have become much less frequent, says Nature Iraq.
Livestock also suffer. Buffaloes grazing in rivers struggle to find clean water and enough food. Thousands die from disease and malnutrition. “Low water levels are having a devastating effect on buffalo farmers,” NRC spokesperson Sama Hadid said. .”
as a prospect As water quality deteriorates in Iraq’s wetland communities, NGOs are promoting actions that can mitigate the effects of the drought, such as investing in water filters and treatment systems in areas with high salinity. They urge Iraqi authorities, at the national and regional levels, to collect more data on the impact of water flows and scarcity, and to improve aquifer regulation to prevent over-pumping that reduces groundwater quantity and quality. I am asking for
The Iraqi government is offering salt-tolerant wheat to some grain farmers. Breeders are working on drought-tolerant sugar beets. Scholars also advocate programs to provide conflict management training to communities struggling to share water resources fairly.
For years Iraq has been negotiating with upstream neighbors to allow more water to flow across the border, but the situation has not improved. It has announced that it will sue Iran at the International Court of Justice for blocking access to water, but the case has not progressed. Last July, Iraq asked Turkey to increase the amount of water flowing south into Iraq. The two sides agreed that an Iraqi “technical delegation” would visit Turkey to assess water levels behind Turkish dams, but Turkey refused to admit responsibility for Iraq’s water shortages. Ambassador Ali Riza Gyunei accused Iraqis of “wasting” water resources and called on the state to reduce water waste and modernize its irrigation system.
According to the United Nations World Food Program and FAO, the new year is expected to bring below-average rainfall to the region. The prospects for Iraq’s Mesopotamian wetlands and their dependent communities look bleak as the impacts of climate change worsen and there is no foreseeable improvement in water management.
