Decades of conflict, an irrigation crisis and lower levels of rainfall have devastated Iraq's palm tree farms. But struggling farmers have replaced their crop with sidr trees, which consume far less water and are able to rely on salty groundwater.

Basrah

Iraqi farmers are facing a significant challenge as decades of conflict combined with an irrigation crisis and declining rainfall levels have severely impacted the country's palm tree farms. In an effort to adapt to these difficult conditions, many farmers have begun to transition away from traditional palm farming in favor of cultivating sidr trees. Sidr trees are notably resilient, requiring considerably less water than palm trees and capable of thriving on salty groundwater.

This shift towards sidr tree cultivation represents a crucial adaptation strategy for Iraqi farmers dealing with the dual threats of water scarcity and agricultural instability. By choosing a crop that is better suited to the current environmental conditions, these farmers are not only able to continue their agricultural practices but also contribute to the sustainability of local farming in the face of ongoing water challenges.



Iraqi farmers cling to sidr trees amid water crisis

This is Ismail Ibrahim's farmland, just outside of Basra, in south-eastern Iraq. He used to grow date palms, but faced with a failing business due to scarce resources, he decided to plant sidir, or jujube. Ibrahim says that unlike date palms, the evergreen fruit trees require significantly less water during an irrigation crisis and can rely on salty groundwater. The financial return is also better with the sidir trees. He says the trees bear fruit from their second year, unlike palms that take at least five. Iraq is part of the so-called Fertile Crescent of arable land that sweeps from the Mediterranean to the Gulf, which has been farmed for thousands of years. But the landscape has been devastated by upstream damming of the main two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. What's more, lower rainfall trends and decades of armed conflict have left farmers clinging to their livelihoods. Iraq has been trying to emerge from decades of conflicts, ranging from former President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, to the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled him, right to the violence caused by Islamic State militants who took over large swathes of the country, destroying its economy. Today's water shortage is the latest blow for many farmers. After years of investment in his palm farm, Abbas Ali says he is just coming to grips with the grim reality that his produce has also fallen victim to the high percentage of salt in the water. The high percentage of salt continuously pollutes the soil. It cannot be disposed of easily because if the salt tide comes, you cannot get rid of it in an instant. It takes a long time for the earth to get rid of the salt present in it. This affects the productivity of the palm tree, the shape of the palm tree, the quality of the fruits. It also affects the quality and quantity of the produce.

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