Drought and pollution threaten Iraq’s rivers

BAGHDAD —  In the wake of drought and pollution reaching record levels in Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Tigris and Euphrates, which are the main sources for Agriculture and drinking water, have become threatened by drought and pollution.

The Ministry called on the government to take all measures to prevent an environmental disaster.

Khaled Shamal, spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources, in press statements, stated that government institutions are responsible for most of the pollution occurring in river waters, pointing out that the sewage system in Iraq disposes of large amounts of wastewater in the two rivers, after light treatment of water or without treated at all.

Shamal added that most hospitals near the two rivers dump their medical waste and sewage directly into them, indicating that this is dangerous and catastrophic in a country where half of the population lacks safe drinking water, according to UN figures.

Ali Ayoub, a water specialist at the UNICEF, warned that the two main water treatment plants in Baghdad are overcrowded, at twice their intended capacity.

“Insufficient infrastructure, limited systems and poor public awareness are the main factors contributing to the significant deterioration in water quality in Iraq,” Ayoub stated.

The water issue in Iraq, according to the authorities, is aggravated by the dams erected by Iran and Turkey on the joint rivers, which led to a decrease in the water level in the Tigris and Euphrates.

The UN says that Iraq, with its 40 million population, is one of the five countries most affected by some of the effects of climate change.