UN and experts: water pollution crisis threatening Iraq’s rivers and millions of lives
Shafaq News/ As experts and the United Nations rose urgent calls to curb escalating pollution levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries within Iraq, the ongoing environmental crisis continues to threaten millions of lives.
Shafaq News captured alarming images of environmental pollution in a river passing through three densely populated areas in the town of al-Qasim in southern Babil province, where the health and well-being of more than 15,000 residents are at risk due to contaminated waters.
The lack of decisive action from Iraqi authorities has raised questions, particularly since rivers like this one have seen no cleanup or irrigation efforts in years. Images show a buildup of waste and pollutants that underscore the urgent need for intervention.
The deterioration in water quality is attributed to untreated industrial and sewage pollution, coupled with decreased water supplies due to climate change and the control over water sources in neighboring countries, in neighboring countries. Pollution has become one of Iraq's most critical challenges, as both agriculture and drinking water heavily depend on these rivers.
In a recent statement, Ghulam Ishaq, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian and Development Affairs, revealed that 90% of the Tigris and Euphrates River water is now contaminated surface water. He warned of severe environmental and health risks posed to Iraqi citizens.
Ishaq noted that Iraq is one of the countries suffering the most from the effects of global warming and climate change, and the decline in the water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, on which Iraq depends, has had a major impact. Statistics show that about 37,000 people have migrated from areas in southern Iraq and changed their homes due to the effects of climate change, he explained.
Speaking on World Environment Day in June 5, Omar Abdullatif, a member of the Green Iraq Observatory emphasized the vital need for water conservation measures by advocating citizen involvement, deploying modern irrigation systems for farmers, and establishing water treatment facilities in government institutions to curb river pollution, as demonstrated by the Ministry of Health’s initiatives.
