BLOG

WATER POLITICS

Via The Economist, an article on how war and dysfunctional politics threaten Iraq’s marshlands:

THE recovery of southern Iraq’s marshlands is arguably one of the great environmental triumphs of recent times. Reduced to dust and withered reeds when Saddam Hussein drained them to flush out rebels in the 1990s, the wetlands once again buzz with birds, dragonflies and the songs of buffalo-breeders, thanks to the devoted efforts of Iraqi conservationists. But the renewed symphony may be the marshes’ swan-song. A water crisis rooted in wasteful irrigation, climate change and dam-building is imperilling them again.

A weakened flow into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers means that salt water from the Persian Gulf can now seep upstream into the marshes. This, coupled with farming run-off that has boosted salinity, again threatens wetland wildlife, vegetation and the local Marsh Arabs who have depended on them for millennia. Jassim al-Asadi, a conservationist brought up in the marshes before Saddam drained them, fears that no more than half the 5,600 square kilometres slated for restoration will survive in the years ahead. “It is a nice place now,” he says. “But what about the future?”

The problem is partly home-made. Iraq’s irrigation methods are often wasteful, and the equipment tends to be rickety. Many farmers rely on thirsty crops such as rice. Politicians have in the past secured extra water for their upstream districts at the marshes’ expense. Reform-minded technocrats are forced to contend with deep-rooted corruption, the distracting and costly fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, and low oil prices, all of which have drained state coffers.

But other problems lie beyond Iraq’s control. For decades dams built in Syria, Turkey and Iran have swallowed up the waters of the Tigris, Euphrates and other rivers feeding the marshes. New dams due to open in Turkey, including the 1,200-megawatt Ilisu Dam, could further restrict the flow of the Tigris.

Talks over these dams have been inconclusive, partly because the Syrian and Iraqi states barely function and partly because IS has controlled swathes of the Euphrates. Turkey may be tempted to exploit its upstream position. “Obviously now it’s easier, because there’s such chaos going on that Turkey can carry on and do what it wants without anyone really having time to say anything about it,” says Francesca de Chatel, an expert on water in the region.

Climate change is taking its toll, too. Last summer temperatures of about 54°C were recorded in southern Iraq, among the hottest ever. Such heatwaves may become more regular, along with drought. As groundwater is pumped to make up for shortfalls, ancient aquifers could run dry.

The link between ecological decline, political unrest and migration has sharpened minds since civil war erupted in neighbouring Syria, where a three-year drought helped fuel revolt against Bashar al-Assad, the president. Iraq, torn by fighting between rival Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish factions, faces similar pressures.

The marshes face a hotter, drier future. But better water management could help. If only Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey would share their waters as amicably as the Danube countries do, laments Mr Asadi. Dam levels should be calibrated during wet and dry years to ensure steadier flows. Iraqi officials might also ponder novel solutions, he says, such as renting storage at the Ilisu Dam for use when needed. Yet stronger countries have exploited their advantages rather than seek compromise.