Maysan marshes run dry as Iraq’s water crisis deepens

Shafaq News – Maysan

On Monday, Iraq’s Maysan Governor Habib Al-Fartousi warned that marsh water inflows have fully stopped, deepening an already severe province-wide shortage.

“The water supply across Maysan has reached critical lows—the marshes are drying out, and we’re expecting widespread fish deaths,” he told Shafaq News.

Environmental activist Murtadha al-Janoubi earlier flagged the collapse of the Hawizeh marshes, reporting over 15 villages gone dry, vanishing rivers, and rising buffalo deaths.

At a press conference joined by the Maysan Governor and Water Resources Ministry officials, Parliamentary Agriculture and Water Committee Chair Faleh Al-Khazali underscored the gravity of the crisis. He criticized the no-shows by Basra and Dhi Qar governors, calling Basra’s absence “unjustified” while noting Dhi Qar’s governor turned back due to a medical emergency.

Al-Khazali outlined key outcomes from the meeting, including diplomatic pressure on Turkiye to boost Tigris and Euphrates flows, Finance Ministry funding for pump infrastructure, Joint Operations Command enforcement of water quotas, approval of fish imports to break market monopolies, and dismantling of illegal “VIP lakes” owned by influential figures.

Despite a slight increase in water releases from Turkiye, Iraq continues to face long-term scarcity driven by upstream dam projects, prompting officials to demand a fixed and equitable water share to avoid deeper ecological and economic fallout.