Worst-Case scenario: Fishermen walk across Tigris

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Tigris River, once a vital waterway running through the heart of Baghdad, has receded to such low levels that fishermen are now able to walk deep into its bed in search of fish.

Footage obtained by Shafaq News shows fishermen wading into the Tigris River between al-Sinak and al-Jumhuriya bridges in central Baghdad, where the water level does not reach half their bodies as they cast their nets in a section long intertwined with the capital’s daily life.

In recent months, entire towns and centuries-old burial sites have emerged from the dried-up branches of the Tigris in Duhok province. Areas once submerged for decades have revealed not only human settlements but also remnants of ancient civilizations.

Iraq currently holds only around eight billion cubic meters of water in its reservoirs — roughly 8% of the country’s total storage capacity, which stands at an estimated 100 billion cubic meters.

Water inflows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers remain highly inconsistent, while domestic demand exceeds 900 cubic meters per second — equivalent to around 77.76 million cubic meters per day — required to meet drinking water and environmental flow needs. Under current conditions, maintaining this level has become increasingly difficult.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq receives just 1.19 billion cubic meters of water per month, compared to an actual consumption rate of 2.53 billion cubic meters.