Water shortages threaten thousands of lives across Iraq

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq is facing the prospect of a serious humanitarian crisis as water shortages intensify and incidents affecting both citizens and infrastructure increase, the Strategic Human Rights Center in Iraq reported on Sunday.

In a statement, the organization urged authorities in Baghdad to declare an urgent humanitarian alert and adopt a comprehensive national strategy to address drought and other environmental threats.

Highlighting the importance of transparency, public participation, and civil society involvement in monitoring and implementing solutions, the group also called on the international community to assist Iraq in managing the effects of climate change.

"The repeated tragic events and mismanagement of environmental and climate challenges are putting thousands of Iraqi lives at risk and threatening their most basic rights to life, health, and shelter," the statement added, pressing neighboring countries, including Turkiye and Iran, to respect water allocations under international law and protect millions of Iraqis from thirst.

Iraq is experiencing one of its most severe water shortages on record, with tributaries drying up, marshes shrinking, and reservoir levels falling. Authorities warn the country could lose up to 20% of its water resources by 2035 due to climate change, upstream dam projects, and aging infrastructure.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues

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