Major protests have erupted in several Iraqi cities over the past two weeks due to water and power cuts. The movement started in the southern region of Basra, and then spread to Kerbala and Baghdad. Our Observers in Basra explain that the protesters blame corruption and poor management by the authorities for these cuts, which are particularly painful since Iraq is currently experiencing temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius.
https://twitter.com/1Basrah/status/1020218220144480257
According to the Iraqi government, a massive development project in Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia region is the cause of this year’s particularly severe water shortages. In order to irrigate arid lands, 22 dams are being built on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These are the two main rivers that cross Iraq, providing 95 percent of the water used in the country’s industries and 80 percent of the water used by citizens. The Ilisu dam, located near the border between Turkey, Syria and Iraq, has now started to fill up. According to the Iraqi government, the project is responsible for an 80 percent drop in water flow to Iraq.
Climate change is another major cause of water shortages, according to Hassan al-Jalabi, the Iraqi minister for hydraulic resources. On July 14, he told the United Nations that 90 percent of historically fertile lands in Iraq now faced desertification.In late June, violent protests also wracked southwest Iran, for the same reasons. Protesters decried the combined effects of climate change and mismanagement of water resources by the authorities.