Iraq Suffers As The Euphrates River Dwindles

Iraq currently faces one of the worst droughts in years, as the Euphrates River, one of the country’s main sources of fresh water, is in danger of drying up. Below average rainfall combined with poor water management policies both in Iraq and throughout the region have led to the present conditions. In many areas, there is not enough water to grow crops, leaving Iraq dependent upon grain imports to feed its population. Although Iraq’s inefficient use of water is one cause of the current drought, dams in Turkey and Syria, Iraq’s upstream neighbors, also limit supply. Turkey has increased the supply to Iraq recently, but water levels are still 60 percent of their average. And it appears that Iraq’s drought conditions are worsening. If environmental degradation were not enough to harm one of the world’s scarcest resources, water supply becomes problematic by virtue of its flow across international borders. – YaleGlobal