Inactivity of Iraq Farms Due to Water Supply Shortages

OSINT Brief – Inactivity of Iraq Farms Due to Water Supply Shortages

Below is a very brief OSINT brief on Iraq’s water supply. First off though, I have been going through historical images in Google Earth of the AzZubayr farming area and noticed that as far back as 2004 the area was a patch work of farms – indicating a relatively similar degree of inactivity one observes today. So this might indicate that farming in southern Iraq has always been like this – inactive looking.

That being said this is a summary: There have been reports of droughts in the area of ThiQar (approximately 85 miles northwest of the AzZubayr farming area).I also found a report on the UNESCO website (not sure of the date, not recent though) that mentions dams in Turkey and Syria causing issues for Iraq.

One last note, though I didn’t find much anything on this: poor/lacking electricity has been a driver behind recent protests in Iraq. This could have made pumping water out of wells difficult and costly for farmers over the years.

  • 28 Feb 2011 - As a primarily agricultural region, widespread unemployment and the recent drought affecting large parts of Iraq have hit ThiQar particularly hard.
  • No DTG - Extensive damming of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers has led to the loss of the Mesopotamian marshlands.
  • No DTG - Tensions among the countries [Iraq and Turkey] regarding water management intensified when Turkey began a major development project called Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP).

WATER RESOURCES IN IRAQ

Location
Iraq is located in the Middle East, bordered by the Persian Gulf, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait. The total land area of the country is 437,072 km2, of which 4,910 km2 is water bodies. Administratively, the country is divided into 18 governorates (muhafazat).
Population

The total population is about 24 million, of which 41% is less than 14 years old. The population is growing at an annual rate of 2.86. The life expectancy at birth is about 66 years. The infant mortality rate is about 58 child/1,000 live births 1.
Climate
The climate in Iraq is mainly of the continental, subtropical semi-arid type, with the north and north-eastern mountainous regions having a Mediterranean climate. Rainfall is very seasonal and occurs mainly between December and February, except in the northern mountain, where it occurs from November to April. Average annual rainfall is estimated at 154 mm, but ranges from less than 100 mm in the south to 1,200 mm in the north-east.
Extensive damming of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers has led to the loss of the Mesopotamian marshlands.

Hydrological features

The country has a long history of irrigated agriculture that dates back to the Great Mesopotamian civilization of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.
The Shatt Al-Arab basin, which is the only river basin in Iraq, is formed by the confluence downstream of the Euphrates and the Tigris into the Persian Gulf.
Surface water resources: transboundary rivers
Both the Tigris and the Euphrates are transboundary rivers originating their source in Turkey. A Joint Technical Committee on Regional Waters was set up in 1980 by Turkey and Iraq for discussing regional water matters. Furthermore, tensions among the countries regarding water management intensified when Turkey began a major development project called Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP).
Groundwater resources
Good quality subterranean water has been found in the foothills of the mountains in the northeast of the country and in the area along the right bank of the Euphrates. But the Global Environment Outlook 2000 reported that the groundwater is rapidly deteriorating in Iraq, because the water volumes withdrawn far exceed natural recharge rates. Consequently, the traditional systems tapping aquifers using gravity-fed underground conduits, called 'Afalaj systems', have heavily suffered.
Water use
According to the World Water Development Report (WWDR), the total renewable water resources available per capita per year in Iraq is 3,287 m3. Compared to other countries in the Arab region, like Jordan, Israel of the Gulf States, this figure shows abundant water resources.
Agricultural water withdrawals account for about 50% of total renewable water resources in iraq.
Water supply and sanitation
The joint WHO-UNICEF Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report, reported that in 1995 safe water supplies reached 96% of urban areas and 48% of rural areas. The figures for sanitation suggest that 93% of the urban and 31% of the rural population accessed different form of sanitation (or excreta disposal) facilities.
IRCS (International Red Cross/Crescent Society) and CRF (Christian Relief Fund) have noted that these facilities have been badly damaged in the ongoing war and could trigger massive human misery.
Agriculture
About 11.48 million hectares (ha) of land is cultivable. However, FAO estimates for 1998 reveal that only 5.5 million ha is put under cultivation due to soil salinity, fallow practices and the unstable political situation. 64% of the cultivated land was irrigated 2. Agricultural water withdrawals accounted for 52% of total renewable water resources.
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Durable skills for durable futures in Iraq

Date: 28 Feb 2011
Hamad is a 22 year old job seeker. He is married and has two children. Prior to joining ACTED's apprenticeship scheme, Hamed spent his time searching for jobs or working wherever he could in order to make ends meet and provide for his family. Through the scheme, however, he has been trained in valuable carpentry skills thus increasing his chances of getting a decently paid job. In the workshop where he is being trained he looks proudly at the cupboard that is slowly taking shape. Hamed is one of 20 beneficiaries enrolled in ACTED's pilot apprenticeship scheme in ThiQar Governorate, and all of them are equally determined to succeed in a very difficult environment.
ThiQar is a southern governorate of Iraq located about 380 kilometres south of Baghdad with a population just under 1.5 million. In 2003 ThiQar's capital Nassariya witnessed some of the fiercest fighting with heavy resistance to U.S. forces early on in the conflict. However, in 2006 it became the second governorate to be handed over to Iraqi Security Forces and it has seen relative stability ever since. As a primarily agricultural region, widespread unemployment and the recent drought affecting large parts of Iraq have hit ThiQar particularly hard.
Nassariya is the fourth largest city in Iraq. Unemployment is high, especially within IDP communities who have been uprooted from their homes and have lost their traditional vocations with no new prospects for labor. As a result of these factors, ACTED has commenced a pilot scheme to provide vocational training to determined young men and women in an effort to give them long-lasting skills to support a livelihood for themselves and their families. After researching the local demands for vocational skills, ACTED selected five different apprenticeship programmes to benefit a total of 20 determined individuals. The vocational skills identified are hairstyling, blacksmithing, carpentry, airconditioning repair and car repair and maintenance.
Due to cultural norms and values in the area, choices for women seeking to work are very limited. This can pose great difficulties, especially amongst female-headed households. Often widowed, these women seek to provide for their families but face cultural barriers that frequently prevent them from doing so. This was the case with Ranna, aged 28, who had no means of income and couldn't support her family. Through ACTED's apprenticeship activity, Ranna received a stipend with which she could provide for her children and learn to be a hairdresser. Her hard work during her apprenticeship has been paying off, as her trainer is considering hiring her after she finishes the programme.
The pilot project has proven to be a success so far. As Hamad, a 22-year old unemployed laborer, said, "Before enrolling in the apprenticeship scheme I spent months looking for a job so that I could provide for the basic needs of my family. I couldn't find anything. But now I have the opportunity to earn my living learning a new profession that I enjoy. I hope to continue being a carpenter after I finish my training."

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