DOHA – Iraq's water scarcity crisis due to climate change and upstream policy has imposed itself strongly on the discussions of the third and final day of the "Invasion of Iraq: Regional Reflections" conference, organized by Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) from September 14 to 16.

The conference comes on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and to discuss the repercussions of this and present possible paths for the future of the country.

In a panel discussion titled "Good Governance and Durable Solutions", participants highlighted the serious water crisis facing Iraq that threatens the sustainability of water resources and affects the lives of millions of people.

Participants in the panel reviewed the effects of the water crisis in Iraq and the serious economic, social and environmental challenges that will result in water shortages affecting the capacity to grow crops and raise livestock, leading to deteriorating food security and high food prices.

Part of the audience in the discussion session (Al Jazeera)

Upstream dams

The discussion also touched on the issue of building dams in upstream countries and how it can lead to changes in the river system and aquatic environmental structures, in addition to changing the natural patterns of floods and droughts, and negative effects on water-related ecosystems in Iraq.

In this context, the former Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Hassan Al-Janabi stressed that the negative effects of the water crisis may extend beyond food security and affect national sovereignty, stressing the need to address these challenges through urgent measures and international cooperation to maintain a sustainable future for water resources in Iraq.

Al-Janabi says, in a statement to Al Jazeera Net, that the issue of water security in Iraq has a special character because the water of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and other tributaries comes across borders, considering that in addition to being a "natural problem", it also represents a political problem because there are no agreements on water regulation with upstream countries that determine the responsibilities of these countries with regard to water quotas for other countries or the construction of dams, for example.

He points out that water security in Iraq or in any other country is not just a project that begins, progresses, completes and ends the government's mission. But water security is the ability of a community to have sustainable and safe access to fresh water for various uses, such as drinking, irrigation and industry, in a way that preserves the environment and ensures the long-term sustainability of water resources.

Janabi warns against using water crisis as a pressure card (Al Jazeera)

He noted that water security requires a balance between increasing water needs and limited water resources, taking into account the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Al-Janabi added that programs to achieve water security for the community are vital programs that must be reviewed regularly because they depend on what is available from water, whether natural or industrial, such as desalination projects, and these projects are vital and important, especially in light of the current conditions of a huge population increase and then climate variables that must be taken into account.

The former minister pointed out that the problems of drought, desertification and land erosion in Iraq are not only due to climate change, but mostly as a result of human intervention represented in the construction of dams and facilities that block water from upstream countries, adding that the "marshes" region, for example, witnessed a significant decline in water levels, which led to an unprecedented drought in the history of the region, and this harsh situation caused the population to be forced to migrate unusually from the marshes to cities.

Discussion on the implications of the water crisis in Iraq during a conference in Doha (Al Jazeera)

Compression paper

The former Minister of Resources touches on the water crisis with neighboring countries, saying that the relationship between Iraq and neighboring countries is still thorny, especially with Iran and Turkey, despite the change in the nature of this relationship from "hostile" to friendship, cooperation and great economic exchange, but the water issue with them remains pending and dangerous due to the lack of frameworks to regulate this water relationship currently, despite the existence of previous agreements in this regard, such as (1946 agreement) with Turkey, and another with Iran in 1975.

Al-Janabi noted that he began negotiations with the Turkish side during his tenure as Minister of Water Resources on the water crisis, but Turkey's preoccupation with some other and more important files for it made the water issue for Ankara at a lower stage, and therefore there was no breakthrough in this file.

He also points out that the Iranian side has closed the door on negotiations on the water crisis with Iraq, where Iran controls the water tributaries, which makes the situation more complicated.

The former minister warns of the possibility of some countries using the water issue as a pressure card that may affect Iraqi national sovereignty, saying, "We hope that this will not happen, and so far for the Iraqi situation it is not announced, and there is no country that says we will use water as a weapon against Iraq, but perhaps the "water situation" may be used to develop solutions to other issues and problems.

Al-Janabi stressed that the water relationship between Iraq and its neighbors must be seen within the network of public interests linking Iraq, Turkey and Iran, stressing the need for the water path to be peaceful and cold in light of the heat of other paths such as terrorism, infiltration, smuggling and others, and the need to have real mechanisms agreed upon between Iraq and these countries to solve water problems.

The former Iraqi minister concludes his statement by stressing that water is a "human right" and that neighboring countries must respect the Iraqi right to access it.

Spreading awareness and finding solutions

For her part, researcher Maha Yassin stresses that water scarcity and drought in Iraq affect the livelihood of farmers, especially in the south, where many of them are forced to move from agricultural communities to urban areas, noting that in 2021, Iraq witnessed a sharp decline in water availability, which led to a decrease in the level of agricultural production by 70%, especially wheat production.

The water crisis is also exacerbating social and political tensions, as competition for water increases between communities and governorates, especially from tribes, and conflicts over water resources arise between farmers, factories and local residents, leading to an escalation of tensions and potential conflicts in the region.

The researcher at the Institute of Regional and International Studies stresses the need to spread awareness of the seriousness of the water crisis and work to find solutions to it, explaining that facing the water crisis in Iraq requires collective efforts and international cooperation.

Yassin also stressed that the Iraqi government must take urgent and effective measures, including improving water resources management, strengthening cooperation between regions and governorates in distributing and using water in sustainable ways, improving water infrastructure and using modern technology to improve water use efficiency and purify polluted water, in addition to encouraging farmers to use sustainable irrigation methods and promoting water conservation and marine water desalination.