BAGHDAD: Iraq is facing an acute water shortage amid severe drought and reduced water inflows from neighbouring countries, Mahdi Damad, an adviser to the country’s agriculture ministry, told Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
“The inability to deliver drinking water to the provinces and the depletion of groundwater reserves pose a serious danger. In 2019, reserves reached 65 billion cubic metres, thanks to rains … Now the water inflow from neighbouring countries (Iran and Turkey) is extremely insignificant, and there is very little rain,” Damad said.
Iraq needs to create a competent negotiating group for dialogue with its neighbours to ensure that the country has enough water resources, he added.
Iraqi authorities link the crisis not only to climate conditions, but also to the dams built by Turkey and Iran on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which play a key role in the country’s life support. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK
