Iraq loses 60% of its river-irrigated land
The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture revealed that Iraq’s river-irrigated agricultural land has lost almost 60 percent of its total area.
The spokesperson for the Agricultire Ministry, Mohammed Al-Khuzay, said that river-irrigated land in Iraq is affected by water scarcity, desertification, and climate change, Shafaq News reported.
Al-Khuzay clarified that the ministry is utilizing groundwater to irrigate desert areas with sprinklers in order to develop agriculture in these areas.
The Iraqi Agriculture Ministry succeeded in planting 4,000 square kilometers in desert areas to compensate for the river-irrigated areas it lost, according to the Iraqi official.
The Iraqi Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairy, stated in March that Iraq has become self-sufficient and does not require the import of wheat in order to maintain its strategic stocks.
The United Nations ranks Iraq as the fifth most climate-affected country. Since 2020, Iraq has seen a severe and worsening water crisis brought on by a lack of rainfall and dams constructed by Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
The crisis reached its peak in 2023 when the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers dropped to unprecedented levels.
