Shafaq News/ Iraq's Deputy Parliament Speaker, Hakem al-Zameli, on Monday called on the Iraqi government to form a Higher Committee that handles issues related to water resources and appeal to upstream countries to increase Iraq's share of transboundary waters.

According to a readout issued by his media office, al-Zameli received in his bureau in the parliament headquarters a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Water Resources headed by Minister Mahdi Rachid al-Hamdani. 

The meeting, according to the readout, discussed the Ministry's strategy to address the water crisis ahead of summer and the challenges to the water sector in the country. 

Al-Zameli appealed to the caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to establish a "committee to keep tabs and efficiently manage the water crisis at the highest levels, similar to neighboring states," calling for "exerting pressure upon the neighboring countries to increase Iraq's share of water and release them as soon as possible." 

The lawmaker said that neglecting this issue might tamper with the Iraqi people's lives and harm Iraq's with its neighbors.

Al-Zameli called for proper management of the abuse of groundwaters, putting the protocol on water cooperation with Turkey into force, and establishing the joint research center.

The Deputy Parliament Speaker said that today's meeting was preceded by a meeting with the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad and will be followed by a meeting with the Iranian ambassador.