The watersheds, including their tributaries, around 100% of the surface water resources in iraq. This country faces serious water issues, due to its geopolitical situation, limited resources, decades of international sanctions, wars and embargoes. Chapter 4 concentrates solely on iraq s water resources, the overall surface and groundwater, storage projects and regulatory operating systems of the tigris and euphrates rivers. Chapter 4 concentrates solely on iraqs water resources, the overall surface and groundwater, storage projects and regulatory operating systems of the tigris and euphrates rivers. By then there was already unambiguous evidence indicating the urgency of defusing the imminent danger posed by iraq and its primary allies in the growing terrorist conspiracy. One is salinity, the other is the concentration of pollutants in the water related to municipal, industrial and agricultural activities that introduce return flows into freshwater sources. Studies carried out in iraq have shown that treated sewage water can be used to. Usable water sources include soil moisture, ground water, surface water. The two dominant rivers in iraq are tigris and euphrates. Swlri strategy for water and land resources in iraq tzero. This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. The building of water storage facilities by both turkey and iran along with irregular rainfall has reduced the water level in iraq s main rivers by at least 40 per cent in recent decades, the. The current paper emphasizes on the study of the water resources of iraq. The current contamination of water supplies is thought to have increased mortality rates in iraq in recent years.
Impact assessment, recovery and mitigation framework and. This vast area already struggles to support at least ten million conflictdisplaced people. The main sources of surface water resources are rivers tigris and euphrates and together they constitute about 98% of iraq surface water both rivers tigris and euphrates are transboundary rivers, originating in turkey passing through syria before entering iraq the euphrates flows about 1,160 km and the tigris. Nov 06, 2017 the conflict polluted water sources and left iraq littered with millions of tons rubble and debris from destroyed cities and towns, as well as toxic waste from industrial sites and artisanal oil refining. The sanctions, imposed for a decade largely at the insistence of the united states, constitute a violation of the geneva convention. Are direct sources of water pollution and can be reduced and monitored.
Therefore, the impacts of a water deficit are a complex function of water source and water use over time. International donor and capacity building programs. This problem is expected to be more severe in the future where the supply is predicted to be 43 and 17. The average annual flow of the euphrates and tigris is estimated to be about 30 km3 which might fluctuate from 10 to 40 km3 for the former and 21. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. The basinwide protection of the supply infrastructure could serve as a technical as. It is not limited only to its physical measure hydrological and hydrogeological, the flows and stocks, but encompasses other more qualitative, environmental and socioeconomic dimensions. Swat model sediment and water assessment tool was used to evaluate the impacts of climate change on water resources in aladhaim basin which is located in north east of iraq. Moreover, the hussein regime in iraq left the water system to collapse, and caused it to be in desperate need of modernization, redevelopment and improvement. It has a strategic location on shatt al arab waterway and at the head of the persian gulf. Distribution of persons by main water source table 219. Learn about the political instability in iraq, where it began, and the latest developments with the center for preventive actions global conflict tracker. Unwater coordinating the uns work on water and sanitation.
Expected water supply sources and quantities in iraq in the. The first three chapters provide a general description of iraqs influencing geographical elements the iraq in the composition of its inland water sources. Aladhaim river is the main source of fresh water to kirkuk city, one of the largest cities of iraq. Malak alzubeidi says she was lit on fire by her husband and prevented from visiting her. Water supply and sanitation in jordan is characterized by severe water scarcity, which has been exacerbated by forced immigration as a result of the 1948 arabisraeli war, the sixday war in 1967, the gulf war of 1990, the iraq war of 2003 and the syrian civil war since 2011. Water supply and sanitation in iraq is characterized by poor water and service quality. Keywordsiraq, tigris river, euphrates river, water scarcity. The public health consequences of war go far beyond the direct casualties caused by weapons. Pdf iraq is one of the middle east and north african countries mena region. This year, unicef iraq and its partners anticipate tankering 300 million litres of safe water and distributing water and hygiene kits to up to 120,000 families in crisis. Iraq is a nation of 31 million people in the middle east, bordering the persian gulf, between iran and kuwait.
Water and wastewater systems in iraq are thoroughly damaged by the first and second gulf war. They called for mobilisation of community action, water resources assessments, the sensitisation of lawmakers and better flow of information on water to the public. Iraq has another big problem, and is thirsty for answers bernard stanford a family in baghdad makes its way through streets flooded by a water main break. Pdf swot analysis of water resources management in iraq. Iraq ministry of water resources mowr rehabilitation and reconstruction of water management infrastructure. Institutionally, the ministry of energy is in charge of policy and provincial companies are in. Regional and climate challenges to water resources plague iraq. Towards sustainable water resources management in iraq. The turkish government reassured iraq that in the long run downstream flows would revert to normal. Presently, iraq is contending with two types of water quality issues. The modern nationstate of iraq was created following world war i from the ottoman provinces of baghdad, basra, and mosul. Water, for example, is essential to prevent health problems including malnutrition, gastrointestinal infections and other communicable diseases. Water supply and sanitation in iran has witnessed some important improvements, especially in terms of increased access to urban water supply, while important challenges remain, particularly concerning sanitation and service provision in rural areas.
Total industrial of reclaimed waste water remains very limited because of high cost and non rigid environment metal laws. Evaluation of drinking water pollution and health effects. Tensions also remained over the shatt alarab river due to irans water development projects upstream of the river, which were a major source for iraq s agriculture downstream waterinventory, 20. The experiments where made in hydraulic laboratory, water resources dept.
The water supply and sanitation situation has deteriorated as a result of the wars, among other things owing to shortages of chlorine imports for water treatment. Iraqi protests were muted, because iraq did not yet exploit euphrates river water fully for irrigation, and the government did not wish to complicate its relationship with turkey in the midst of the iran iraq war. Sediment flux from lesser zab river in dokan reservoir. Neighbouring countries in the region that share in iraq s water resources have played. Pdf present water crises in iraq and its human and. Dams on tigris, euphrates rivers and tributaries source 21 22 23. Iraq food and agriculture organization of the united nations. They amount to a systematic effort to, in the dias own words, fully degrade iraqs water sources. Iraqs primary sources of surface water, have already fallen to less than. Only 17% of wastewater is treated before discharged into the environment 4. But widespread use of river water for injection has been discouraged because of the competing uses for agriculture and potable water, a continuing severe drought, and the reduction in water flow due to upstream dam construction in turkey and iran. Iraqi water installations had been in very poor condition before is used water as a weapon and. Assessment of climate change impacts on water resources of al.
Corruption and integrity challenges in the public sector of iraq 5 executive summary corruption is one of the principal challenges facing the authorities as they attempt to lay the foundations of the new democratic system in iraq. In this paper the effect of bed roughness for free overfall on flow characteristics in open. Water resources and war in iraq iraq is located in the middle east, bordered by the persian gulf, iran, syria, turkey, jordan, saudi arabia and kuwait. As the water resources available for agricultural production decline precipitously across the middle east, we ignore lewis observation at our peril.
March 2018 learn how and when to remove this template message water supply and sanitation in iraq is characterized by poor water and service quality. Turkey dam sparks renewed water shortage panic in iraq. The concept of water resources is multidimensional. The basic building blocks for the actions that will make us better at water resources management were articulated in 1977. First we analyze a defense intelligence agency document or more precisely the declassified portion of that document. The first three chapters provide a general description of iraq s influencing geographical elements the iraq in the composition of its inland water sources. Iraq governance and performance accountability project igpa. Internal renewable water resources longterm average 35.
Contamination of water reserves by biological, chemical, and radiologic agents may affect the health of millions of residents in the iraq as well as many others throughout the world. It covers an area of 433,970 square kilometres populated by about 32 million inhabitants. The river drains the combined waters of the euphrates and tigris rivers of iraq, and the karun river of iran. During ancient times, lands that now constitute iraq were known as mesopotamia. Political instability in iraq global conflict tracker. Without access to safe water sources the civilian population, especially children, are at risk. At one extreme this document, iraq water treatment vulnerabilities hereafter iwtv is nothing more than an innocent military intelligence work product, simply asserting that conditions a, b, and c will produce results x, y, and z. Water in iraq factsheet march 20 percentage of population with sustainable access to an improved water source water availability 20092010 million m3 water quantity covering an area of 126,900km2 and 177,600km2 respectively, the tigris and the euphrates rivers are the primary sources of surface water in iraq. Iraqi water resources planning decision support tool.
The tigriseuphrates river basin, which feeds syria and iraq, is rapidly drying up. Evaluation of drinking water pollution and health effects in. Integrated management system for sustainability of water resources in iraq, pp. The role of iraq water treatment vulnerabilities in. Iraq percentage of population with sustainable access to an. Thus, iraq faces difficulties to realize the target of 91% of households using safe drinking water supply by 2015. Jordan is considered as one of the ten most water scarce countries in the world.
Iraq s quality of drinking water and water used for agri culture is poor, violating both iraq national standards and who guidelines. The remainder, only 8%, is from internal sources 31. As the hot summer months loom ahead, some fear that infection from contaminated water could reach catastrophic levels. Successive years of drought and diminished flow of water from upstream countries have reduced water levels in iraq s reservoirs, lakes and rivers to critical levels. Pdf toward prudent management of water resources in iraq. Inadequate water management, neglect of and damage to infrastructure, failing water policies as well as instrumentalisation and. Most of the water from these rivers comes from turkey 71% followed by iran 6. The conflict polluted water sources and left iraq littered with millions of tons rubble and debris from destroyed cities and towns, as well as toxic waste from industrial sites and artisanal oil refining.
It destroyed, removed, or rendered useless iraqs drinking water installations and supplies. Increasing demand for water in iraq the water flow from the turkish sources of the tigris and euphrates rivers have registered a marked decrease over the past. The use of treated waste water is important for agriculture development. Methods of dealing with water shortages from the public network. In 2006 access to improved drinking water sources reached 77 percent of. Iraq percentage of population with sustainable access to. The united nations environment programme unep also says air pollution, resulting from burning oil and aggravated by war, is. Evaluation of available water resources, utilization, and management.
Three decades of war, combined with limited environmental awareness, have destroyed iraq s water resources management system. Water resources management in the kurdistan region of iraq. In 1991 safe water supplies reached 100 percent in urban areas but only 54 percent in rural areas. The problems with the countrys water resources management over recent years have added, and continue to add, significantly to the risk of some neighbouring countries usurping iraq s water resources as a means of imposing their political hegemony.
World vision has an innovative strategy for developing partnership with local water authorities which was endorsed and adopted by the wash cluster in iraq as a model. Toward prudent management of water resources in iraq. Usaidsponsored iraq marshland restoration project imrp. In part, this is because of the construction of dams and. Iraq s integrated water resources plan short, mid and longterm policy measures to sustain demand alternative water resources environmental policies and climate change impact international law, policies and legal framework the water and energy nexus the role of technology, engineering and the economy in water resources management. The role of iraq water treatment vulnerabilities in halting one genocide and preventing others one partially declassified defense intelligence agency document, one mountain of corpses of children stacked half a million souls high, and one nations flight from examining the fruits of nearly 11 years of its own military and diplomatic. Threatening both its caliphate project and its sources of funding, the series of military setbacks that the so called islamic state group is has suffered for several months have.
It was once considered as one of the richest countries in terms of its water resources due to the availability of water from the tigris and euphrates rivers. Currently, 16% of households report daily problems with supply and. Much of the sediment clouding the water in this image of the persian gulf is from the shatt al arab river, which enters the gulf in the north along the iran iraq border. Iraq mowr capacity building us army corps of engineers background the iraq ministry of water resources mowr established in 2003 goal. In 2004, iraq s ministry of water resources voiced opposition to irans diversion plans. First, it was inordinately protracted, lasting longer than either world war, essentially because iran did not want to end it, while iraq could not. The country is currently facing a serious water shortage problem. Present conditions and future challenges of water resources. Iran and iraq have been relying on the shatt alarab river as waterway for transportation and exports. Outrage over iraqi womans alleged torture by her husband. Iraq has another big problem, and is thirsty for answers. Iraq greatly relies in its water resources on the tigris and euphrates rivers.
Fatal outbreaks of cholera struck several provinces of the country, including baghdad. Policy department, directorate general for external policies. The tigris and the euphrates rivers take their sources in turkey, cross syria and iraq, before joining together the persian gulf. Unicef water tanks have been a crucial source of drinking water for over 200,000 iraqis since 2003. Water quality and availability can change in unstructured situations, such as war. Leaking sewage pipes and septic tanks contaminate the drinking water network with waste water 3. In the dry climate of the middle east, the river has ever since been of great importance to both countries, therefore tensions over the rivers management have a long history that supported the escalation of the water dispute in the run up to the outburst of the. Iraq s water resources face multiple threats today, with demand exceeding supply and serious problems of pollution in the countrys rivers. Iraq is one of the middle east and north african countries mena region. Iraq is located within the northern part of the middle east. Nonpoint sources the term nonpoint source encompasses a large range of sources such as. Distribution of persons by availabilty of water from the public network table 220. Iraqs quality of drinking water and water used for agri culture is poor, violating both iraq national standards and who guidelines.
1122 1082 211 1113 1271 1217 369 11 1196 802 1103 1280 306 528 1048 1320 125 276 1085 922 24 799 408 1157 390 999 875 922 727 599 10 371 79 471 1065 1350 152 1395 1029 190 398 1498 27 1303