Iraq watchdog: Turkiye’s pledges won’t stop drought fallout

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Green Iraq Observatory on Tuesday disputed the effectiveness of Turkiye’s recent water releases, warning that Iraq remains on the brink of another “water disaster” despite regional pledges.

In its statement, the Observatory noted that the discharges into the Tigris and Euphrates are limited to July and August—dismissing them as a short-term fix that fails to address Iraq’s worsening drought, particularly in the southern provinces, where salinity levels in Basra continue to render water undrinkable.

It also highlighted the heavy toll of prolonged drought, which has wiped out over 500 buffaloes. Calling each buffalo “a self-contained dairy unit,” the group cautioned that many herders have been forced to sell their livestock for slaughter—jeopardizing the country’s vulnerable animal wealth.

Authorities, the Observatory argued, must pursue consistent water flows backed by strategic long-term planning to confront Iraq’s deepening water crisis.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani recently announced that Iraq had secured pledges from Turkiye and Syria to increase water discharges—around 320 cubic meters per second toward Mosul Dam and another 350 via Syria—after weeks of diplomatic engagement.

The Ministry of Agriculture adjusted the summer cultivation plan following the deal, anticipating better water reserves for the upcoming winter season. Yet experts dismissed the measure as largely symbolic, noting that the additional water has yet to deliver tangible improvements on the ground.

MP Thaer Mukhayef warned that Iraq’s crisis will persist unless new dams are built. He also revealed that Turkiye has linked long-term cooperation to the awarding of dam contracts to Turkish firms—cautioning that failure to comply may spark unrest in drought-hit regions.