Iraq's dreams of wheat independence dashed by water crisis
Reuters · New
Reuters
New
Iraqi wheat farmer Ma'an al-Fatlawi has long depended on the nearby Euphrates River to feed his fields near the city of Najaf. But this year, the waters that made the Fertile Crescent a cradle of ancient civilization 10,000 years ago, are drying up. He and other farmers see few options.
Breakdown
- Iraq faces the driest year in modern history, with rivers at record lows 5s
- Wheat harvest could be cut by up to half, threatening food security 11s
- Turkey and Iran's upstream dams are a major factor in water shortages 1m 1s
- FAO expects wheat production to fall by 30-50% this season 1m 16s
- Iraq may need to increase wheat imports and could see higher food prices 2m 8s