Iraqi expert says water scarcity catastrophe hits Syria, Iraq
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – An Iraqi water expert has warned of a “water scarcity catastrophe” affecting Syria and Iraq, holding the two countries responsible for their weakness and failure to unite their positions towards Turkey, which withholds half of their share of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Adel al-Mukhtar, a water resources expert and a former adviser to the Iraqi parliamentary Agriculture and Water Committee, spoke about the significant impact of neighboring countries’ projects on the water crisis in Iraq and Syria, stressing that it is a long-standing issue and not a recent development.
Al-Mukhtar emphasized, in his interview with North Press, that it is impossible to do anything without Syria and Iraq unifying their positions in front of the international community.
Iraq and Syria have repeatedly demanded Turkey, the upstream country, to abide by international agreements, based on the rights of riparian states on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers as two international rivers, which have caused significant damage to the agricultural and animal sectors and the lives of the population in the downstream countries.
In Syria, the level of drought and water scarcity reached a dangerous point last year, causing the spread of diseases such as cholera, according to the World Health Organization (HRW).
Along with the impact of climate and drought due to low rainfall, observers and responsible authorities in the water resources sector in northeast Syria believe that Turkey is using the issue of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers as a geopolitical card without paying attention to its water rights.
The city of Hasakah and its countryside, northeast Syria, have become a model for the catastrophe caused by water scarcity due to geopolitical factors.
One million people are suffering from a severe water crisis in Hasakah as Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA), continue to withhold water form Alouk water station, which is the main source of water for Hasakah and its towns and villages.
Iraq is also severely affected by drought and the low water levels of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and its officials have said on several occasions that they are coordinating with the Syrian side to achieve fair water entitlements.
The Iraqi water expert sarcastically criticized the fact that the two countries are discussing and threatening each other on the issue without doing anything on the ground or at the international level.
The expert expressed his surprise that Iraq is negotiating with Turkey on behalf of Syria, “which will not change anything from the disastrous situation, but rather shows their weakness, while they should be united in all international forums to solve this problem.”
Al-Mukhtar pointed out the possibility of discussing the issue jointly in the UN Security Council, the Arab League, and other conferences and forums that should take concrete positions on this issue.
He expressed his regret that the issue has not received enough attention that is commensurate with the “size of the catastrophe” that is affecting the two countries.
Baghdad and Damascus have not been able to convince the world of the issue of the Euphrates River with Turkey, which is still unresolved, he added.
Baghdad insists that, according to international agreements that must be applied, the absolute amount of the Euphrates River must reach the downstream countries from the Syrian-Turkish border to 500 cubic meters per second (42% for Syria, equivalent to 210 cubic meters, and 58% for Iraq, equivalent to 290 cubic meters).
The expert warned of the “disastrous situation” that threatens life, especially the situation of the Euphrates River, where only half of Syria and Iraq’s legal share reaches them.