Some farmers in Iraq's southern province of Najaf are abandoning their land and livelihoods as a severe water crisis gripping parts of the country has prompted authorities to ban summer farming and rice cultivation.

Najaf

Farmers in Iraq's southern Najaf province are abandoning their land due to a severe water crisis. Authorities have responded by banning summer farming and rice cultivation in an effort to manage the shortage. The crisis has been driven by declining water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, exacerbated by upstream restrictions from Turkey and Iran, as well as climate change and poor resource management. 

Local officials have implemented measures to cope, but many farmers are left uncertain about their future. Efforts to preserve agricultural heritage continue on a limited scale, and compensation for affected farmers is still under review. Recent diplomatic efforts include a pledge from Turkey to cooperate with Iraq on water management.

Water crisis forces some Iraqi farmers to abandon their land

Several farmers in Iraq's southern province of Najaf are walking away from their land and livelihoods, as a severe water crisis in parts of the country has prompted authorities to ban summer farming and rice cultivation. Farmer Haider Al-Attari walks across barren fields that were once fertile farmland. He said he used to cultivate about 50 acres of land, but that was gradually reduced by the state to around 20 acres. The farmers whose lands are close to the city have started to sell. Our situation here is tragic. For example, we cannot sell our land. We are unable to do so. Our farmers as well. Where will they go? They are confused, along with us. Iraq relies on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, whose volumes have declined sharply in recent years. Upstream restrictions from Turkey and Iran also exacerbate the problems. According to a 2023 report by the Norwegian Refugee Council, water scarcity is already displacing farming communities across Iraq. In Najaf, the director of water resources said several measures have been taken to cope, including the ban on summer farming and rice cultivation. Agricultural engineer Abdul Karim Abdullah said the scarcity is due to climate change, poor resource management and encroachment by neighboring countries. He said political will could have mitigated the issue. Efforts to preserve Iraq's agricultural heritage continued in limited form, with land advocated to a research station to maintain seed varieties, said Mahdi Al-Kaysi, an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. Though he said any compensation for affected farmers remains under review. In April 2024, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pledged closer cooperation with Iraq on water and security, presenting a 10-year deal on the management of water resources that would take Iraq's needs into account.

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