Stalled project leaves Iraqi village dry for six years

Shafaq News – Dhi Qar

Residents of Um al-Ghazlan village in Iraq’s Dhi Qar province lacked water for over six years after the local treatment plant shut down, and a government restoration project has stalled, a resident reported to Shafaq News on Wednesday.

Village elder Ali al-Saeedi explained that families have faced the shortage since 2018, while work on the Aysar al-Jibsiya irrigation project has advanced slowly. The project began following repeated appeals from villagers to provincial authorities, with its first phase completed under the province’s food security budget.

The second phase was scheduled to be carried out by the government’s service and engineering corps after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani approved it on September 10, 2024. Construction, however, has yet to begin.

Al-Saeedi highlighted that the delay has extended the community’s struggle to access water, contributed to the spread of skin diseases, and caused damage to livestock and crops. He also urged government agencies to expedite the second phase and resolve the village’s water crisis.

The situation in Um al-Ghazlan reflects a wider challenge across Iraq, where water shortages have reached critical levels. Authorities warn that the country could lose up to 20% of its water resources by 2035 due to climate change, upstream dam projects, and aging infrastructure.

The United Nations estimated in 2024 that nearly 7 million Iraqis are already affected, while 90% of the country’s rivers have experienced reduced flow.