Challenges of Water Resources in Iraq

Abstract

The current paper emphasizes on the study of the water resources of Iraq. Iraq is facing a dire water crisis due to the decrease in the quantities and degradation in the qualities of the water reaching its borders with the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The Euphrates and Tigris rivers provide more than 98% of Iraq’s water demands for the various purposes. Degradation of these rivers has become a serious problem. Analysis of the previous studies is made and the available data are collected. Most of the studies reached an important conclusion, Iraq face serious water shortage problem. Analysis and Expectation of the population size, study of the existing agricultural use and expansion of the cultivated land are presented. The consumption of water withdrawals for the three purposes Agricultural, municipal, and industrial use are analyzed and presented in the paper. In addition, the Expectations of the share per capita are made for the Future until 2100, depending on the expectations of population size and amount of water supply. The water power is studied and suggestions for the new plant are made. Furthermore, some of the discharged fresh water to the Arabian Gulf represents a loss of fresh water. Suggestion to save this loss by constructing a new dam to separate between the fresh and salt water upstream Basra city is suggested. Some of the collected data is included in the paper.