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Iraq, the historic "land between two rivers," faces a crisis striking at its identity as the Tigris and Euphrates shrink dramatically amid severe drought and the increasing toll of upstream dams, helping create the country's worst water shortages for decades.
Once symbols of abundance, the two rivers, which both originate in Turkey, have become the focus of a struggle forcing Iraq to use its most lucrative asset – oil – to secure its water.
The country of more than 46 million people, is experiencing a sharp decline in water supply due to a tangle of factors, including the construction of upstream dams in Turkey, Iran and Syria; broken and outdated water infrastructure after decades of war, sanctions and instability; and government mismanagement.
Adding pressure is a severe, climate change-fueled drought, Iraq's worst in nearly a century.
At the same time, demand is increasing due to growing urban populations and a thirsty agricultural sector, which consumes more than 80% of Iraq's water resources.
Heavy rain and flash floods hit Iraq for several days this month, killing at least six people, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. However, Iraq's dams still face a large water shortage after years of low rainfall, the country's water resources ministry said in a statement.
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📸 : Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP/Getty Images
