Sulfur smog: How water mismanagement is choking Iraq

Shafaq News/ Once known as the "Land Between the Two Rivers", Iraq's ancient lands are now struggling for breath. The Tigris and Euphrates, the lifelines of thriving civilizations, are now shadows of their former selves, shrinking as the country endures a crippling water crisis.

The skies, once clear and bright, are now veiled in smog, and the air carries the acrid scent of sulfur. This is the painful reality for millions of Iraqis, from Baghdad to Basra, who wake up each day to a world where pollution, drought, and desertification have become constant companions.

Decades of conflict and neglect have ravaged the country's environment, leaving its people yearning for the days when the rivers ran free, the soil was fertile, and the skies were clear.

Alarming Levels of Pollution

Pollution has not spared any corner of the country. From Basra to Kirkuk, Mosul to Najaf, entire cities are shrouded in toxic haze. Social media is flooded with images of Iraqi cities barely visible through thick clouds of pollution, while worried voices plead for action.

The "Green Iraq" environmental observatory has sounded the alarm, warning that hazardous materials, particularly from the burning of high-sulfur oil in power plants, are poisoning the air across the nation. The health of vulnerable populations—children and the elderly—hangs in the balance, as the sky darkens not just over Baghdad, but over an entire nation.

A BBC report ranks Iraq as the second-most polluted country in the world, only behind Russia, with an unimaginable 18 billion cubic meters of gas burned every year. Iraq’s overall pollution index, standing at 73.59%, reveals a crisis that is as widespread as it is devastating. Air pollution, a once-distant concern, has now become a suffocating reality for millions across the country.

Worsening Water Crisis

Beyond the poisoned air, Iraq is also facing a desperate battle for water. The rivers that nurtured its people for centuries are now shrinking, choked by mismanagement and dwindling flows from neighboring countries.

Water and agricultural expert Tahseen Al-Moussawi explained that “the rising sulfur dioxide emissions are tied to stagnating water levels, a tragic reflection of how deeply this crisis runs.” Desertification has begun to creep over the land like a slow-moving shadow, stripping it of its fertility and erasing the biodiversity that once thrived.

In some areas, the water has become unrecognizable—polluted with untreated sewage and industrial waste—rendering it unsafe for even the most basic human need: drinking.

Al-Moussawi shed light on the crisis, “Iraq needs 50 billion cubic meters of water every year to sustain its people and land. Yet, over the past four years, it has received less than half of that—just 20 billion cubic meters. This devastating shortfall has pushed Iraq to rank 23rd in global water poverty, but statistics alone cannot capture the human cost.”

For millions of farmers and herders, water is more than a resource—it is the pulse of their livelihoods. As the rivers run dry, entire communities are watching their way of life fade away, forced to abandon the soil they have worked for generations.

Climate Change and Agricultural Decline

Drought and global warming have gripped the country, while the dwindling waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have all but crippled its agricultural heart. In regions like Diyala and Al-Anbar, the fields that once provided for generations now lie barren, forcing families to leave behind their ancestral homes in search of survival.

The impact on rural communities has been devastating, unraveling the social fabric that has long been tied to the land.

As oxygen levels in the rivers drop, mass die-offs of fish have only added to the despair, pushing fish farmers deeper into economic hardship.

Legal and Environmental Protection Gaps

Iraq's environment is protected on paper, but in reality, the laws meant to safeguard its land and water often go unenforced. Law No. 27 of 2009, designed to protect the environment, is a promise unfulfilled as rivers across the country—whether in bustling cities or remote villages—are choked with industrial and hospital waste.

This failure in waste management feels like a betrayal to the people who rely on these rivers for life, with toxic waters now endangering not only human health but also the fragile ecosystems that once thrived. The rivers, once symbols of life and sustenance, now carry pollution downstream, a visible reminder of neglect that affects every corner of the country.

Desertification and Reforestation Efforts

Over 60% of the country has fallen victim to desertification—a heartbreaking consequence of dwindling water supplies and rampant deforestation.

Yet, amid this desolation, there are glimmers of hope. Reforestation initiatives, such as tree-planting campaigns, are being carried out by those determined to restore Iraq's lost green cover. However, these efforts, like the trees themselves, require water to grow.

Omar Abdul Latif from the Green Iraq observatory emphasized that “without sustainable practices, such as drip irrigation, even these hopeful acts may wither away. The fight against desertification is not just about planting trees—it is about nurturing the future of a land that has provided for its people for millennia.”

Environmental Ministry's Response

In the face of suffocating air and rising concern, the Iraqi Ministry of Environment has responded with a sense of urgency, holding a critical session chaired by Baghdad’s governor to seek solutions for the capital’s growing pollution crisis.

Reflecting the government’s commitment to tackling this pressing issue, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has issued directives to form a specialized ministerial committee, tasked with developing immediate solutions, and within days, its findings will be in the hands of the Prime Minister.

Loui Al-Mukhtar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, shared with Shafaq News Agency that air samples have already been collected, and the committee is working diligently to finalize a report that will outline both immediate actions and long-term strategies to restore Baghdad’s air quality.

Earlier, the Ministry had shed light on the sources of this toxic pollution—black oil burned in power plants, fires in unregulated landfills, and the fumes from asphalt and brick factories that darken the night air.