Iraqi FM: Iran cuts flow of 42 river tributaries to Iraq without warning

[Saif al-Arab]

Iraqi FM: Iran cuts flow of 42 rivers to Iraq without warning
July 04 2018 10:16 AM

river drought

Spokesman for Iraqi Foreign Ministry Ahmed Mahjoob said Iran has cut the flow of 42 rivers to Iraq without warning.

In a seminar held at the ministry's headquarters, Mahjoob underlined that Iraq suffers from water shortage because of the negotiating behavior with the riparian countries with Iraq.

He underlined that the southern parts of the country is facing a crisis as a result of Iran's cutting of flow of rivers.

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/st...uts-flow-of-42-rivers-to-Iraq-without-warning

History repeats itself. Historically (since the mighty Semitic Assyrian and Babylonian empires were invaded by uncivilized hordes from the North and East) nothing good (overall) has come from that direction.

Unfortunately elements sabotaging Iraq from within since 2003 have been more loyal to those foreigners than Iraq itself.

We pray and hope that this will soon change.

Although much of the groundwater of Southern Iraq actually derives from Northern KSA (due to Northern KSA having a higher elevation) it is not enough when dams are being built in neighboring countries. KSA and Kuwait could help Iraq's seawater desalination sector but that would require years of work.

Water shortages are a great problem. Even farming summer crops have recently been banned.

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/st...rming-summer-crops-as-water-crisis-grows-dire

This situation should be dealt with and Syria faces similar challenges. If Arab regimes worked together such problems would have been dealt with ages ago. When unity (governmental) is lacking, foreign entities play games.

Such games were nowhere to be seen pre-2003 for reasons that we all know.

I predict further future problems despite assurances from those parties (in this case Iran). Obviously they will do what suits their interests and not that of Iraq. This is logical but Iraq should replay in kind to such moves and not allow itself to be taken hostage.

Arab nations (while Arabs are by far the largest ethnic group, rule by far the largest amount of landmass, have much more money, resources, much greater potential etc. - you name it) should not be played around by any regional countries with the little special exception called Israel (USrael more fitting) due to this country being an US/West outpost. So they can bother those defenseless Palestinians in tiny Gaza and the West Bank.

This issue is getting very old and must be dealt with one way or another. Preferably diplomatically but if not, other solutions should be found.

Egypt rightly did that in regards to the Nile dispute.

@OutOfAmmo @SALMAN F

 

[BHarwana]

Iran has 42 rives lol that is News for me. If Iran has 42 rives why is there water crises as said in international media?

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Iran has 42 rives lol that is News for me. If Iran has 42 rives why is there water crises as said in international media?

Have you ever heard about tributaries? That is what is meant by "rivers". It's an Iraqi webpage that translates Arabic news into English. Inaccuracies when translated will occur.

Shatt al-Arab has 100's of tributaries alone for instance.

Your comment (other than coming to the rescue of your beloved Mullah regime) does not even change an inch of the challenges and ground-realities that were mentioned in my post and which Iraq (as well as Syria) face.

Challenges that will be dealt with accordingly by any sane government or at least should be.

 

[Saddam Hussein]

Cut all imports from Iran and Turkey, import from elsewhere. Tax the Ashura visitors from Iran. Iran is an enemy indeed a historical one trying to spread the Islamic revolution with its Mullahs, a foreign state that interferes too much, they will only stop once put back in their place they must have forgotten the war. Qasem should stop roaming around like a monkey claiming victories as he did nothing. I hope an airstrike takes that monkey out together with his other mullahs.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Cut all imports from Iran and Turkey, import from elsewhere. Tax the Ashura visitors from Iran. Iran is an enemy indeed a historical one trying to spread the Islamic revolution with its Mullahs, a foreign state that interferes too much, they will only stop once put back in their place they must have forgotten the war. Qasem should stop roaming around like a monkey claiming victories as he did nothing. I hope an airstrike takes that monkey out together with his other mullahs.

While the Shah was not perfect, his only negative meddling (by large) was his support for the stateless elements in the North. The Mullah's are out of pedagogical reach and had 40 years to prove otherwise but failed miserably. We see the same pattern elsewhere in the region and we only have to ask Lebanese, Yemeni etc. nationalists as well as Syrian ones who are not fanboys of the trash that is the Al-Assad regime. Let us theoretically forget 7 years of failed policies that led to Syria being destroyed but how can 30+ years of treason be forgotten? No wonder that the Mullah's have purred billions upon billions into Syria to save that trash regime.

The current foreign imposed constitution that has proven its failure ages ago should be changed, nationalism rather than sectarian affiliations (it cannot happen and be tolerated that say a Sunni Shammari from Mosul and a Shia Shammari from Samawa are at odds due to regional politics and sectarianism when they are the same people) should be boosted much more and elements within Iraq working for foreign entities should be targeted by a preferably nationalistic and loyal deep state that never fails to carry out its job regardless of regime/parties in power.

This ongoing political deadlock does not help either. Military officials who chased away Daesh and Biji Biji monkeys/troublemakers away and foot soldiers (with great personal sacrifices) cannot be satisfied with the current situation.

Iraq must act in order to ensure its legitimate interests and not allow itself to be played with. We get it, Saddam was far from perfect, but if there is one thing that nationalists miss, is that only the superpower (USA and its regional extension, Israel) were able to truly mess with Iraq. This was ensured due to a strong security apparatus and state apparatus not some ideology or sectarian affiliation/domination.

Today we have monkeys (most politicians) in power who are puling Iraq to each side (their favorite side - being paid to do this moreover by the usual suspects) while everyone should be pulling it to the same side.

The monkey that you described, is more interested in his alliances and party visions that what is in the best interests of Iraq. The same can be said about many other parties. Let's not even mention the Kords and their age old sabotaging that continues to this day.

Changing status quo requires educating and spreading such knowledge on social media (where most youth are found today across the entire world) and educating them so they can learn from the mistakes of past people.

This strange phenomenon among some people post-2003 to appease foreigners due to shared sect/ideology at the cost of Iraq's interests must be combatted more strongly.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Cut all imports from Iran and Turkey, import from elsewhere. Tax the Ashura visitors from Iran. Iran is an enemy indeed a historical one trying to spread the Islamic revolution with its Mullahs, a foreign state that interferes too much, they will only stop once put back in their place they must have forgotten the war. Qasem should stop roaming around like a monkey claiming victories as he did nothing. I hope an airstrike takes that monkey out together with his other mullahs.

Blame your incompetent politicians.

(...)

According to the Turkish side, the dimensions of the crisis are not being debated honestly. Iraq’s own Ministry of Water Resources Management has said the crisis isn't because of Ilisu, but because there's a lack of sufficient water at Iraq's Mosul Dam. Yet that statement seems to be ignored when it's convenient.


Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed that Turkey had begun holding water at Ilisu to win the votes of its farmers in the June 24 elections. But Ilisu is designed to generate power; there is nothing there to benefit farmers. After filling the dam to operate the generator turbines, Turkey will have to release the water anyway. Nevertheless, Ankara preferred not to challenge Abadi to avoid raising political sensitivity in Iraq.


Turkish sources told Al-Monitor that Ankara has been reasonable about releasing water to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers so as not to make life difficult for Iraq and Syria. According to a protocol signed with Syria in 1987, Turkey has to release 500 cubic meters (0.4 acre-foot) per second to the Euphrates. If that amount can't be provided during one month because of drought, then it is made up the next month. Although there is no such arrangement with Iraq for the Tigris, Turkey nevertheless informs Baghdad of the amount released to the Euphrates. Baghdad then compares the water it gets with the amount Syria receives and demands the same.

(...)

Also, Baghdad claims Turkey’s massive Southeast Anatolia Project (which includes the Ilisu Dam) has caused an 80% reduction in water flow to Iraq. About three-fourths of that entire project is complete, with 22 dams, 19 hydroelectric power stations and irrigation of 1.8 million hectares. However, more than half the Tigris' flow is fed by waters in Iraq. The river carries on average 52 billion cubic meters of water every year, with 40% coming from Turkish sources and 9% from Iran; the remaining 51% is from Iraq’s own sources.

Thus, Iraq's poor water management seems to emerge as the true culprit:

• Iraq still uses soil water canals from the days of the Sumerians, which is the main cause of its water loss. Iraq hasn't invested in irrigation systems, reservoirs and water conservation for 25 years. Two of Iraq's dams can't be used to retain water for periods of drought. The Mosul Dam was damaged during the war against the Islamic State, and the Darbandikhan Dam on the Iranian border was damaged by an earthquake.
• There is no effective coordination in Iraq among the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities.
• Iran diverted some of the streams feeding the Tigris for its dam and irrigation projects. This seriously affects Sulaimaniyah and Diyala in northern Iraq, reducing electricity production and changing the ecological balance. However, because of Baghdad's internal politics, it doesn't raise the subject with Iran.
• One factor affecting agriculture is salinization. Sewer discharges into rivers, the absence of purification systems and the misuse of water all increase water salinity. Water in Qurna, Kut and Amara in southern Iraq has twice the salinity of Mosul's water. One study found that the Euphrates' salinization increased 2.5 times between 1980 and 2009.

(...)

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ori...raq-ilisu-dam-water-crisis.html#ixzz5KcHARaGT

 

[Saif al-Arab]

@OutOfAmmo

https://www.oieau.fr/eaudoc/system/files/documents/40/204634/204634_doc.pdf

https://iahs.info/uploads/dms/14068.15-92-99-03-315-13-TILMANT.pdf

http://www.iraqicivilsociety.org/wp...-DAM-AND-LEGAL-CONSIDERATIONS-IN-IRAQ-Eng.pdf

https://ejatlas.org/conflict/ilisu-dam-project-turkey

 

[KediKesenFare3]

(...) “The Ilisu reservoir is 10.4 billion cubic meters. Turkey can fill it in as little as six months. They have publicly committed to fill it slowly over two years to reduce the impact on Iraq,” Azzam Alwash, Iraqi hydraulic engineer who served as an adviser on the Mosul Dam, told The National.

Yet, he expressed that Iraq had failed to prepare itself adequately for this issue.

“I have been warning for over ten years and published an idea for Iraq to lease Ilisu and decommission Mosul dam,” Mr Azzam said, adding that all of Iraq will suffer including the marches. (...)

https://www.thenational.ae/world/me...m-amid-fears-of-water-crisis-in-iraq-1.738488

Plenty of time, plenty of ideas, plenty of money - yet you guys literally didn't lift a finger for decades. Blaming your neighbors (Turkey, Iran and even Syria) won't help you.

 

[Saddam Hussein]

Blame your incompetent politicians.

(...)

According to the Turkish side, the dimensions of the crisis are not being debated honestly. Iraq’s own Ministry of Water Resources Management has said the crisis isn't because of Ilisu, but because there's a lack of sufficient water at Iraq's Mosul Dam. Yet that statement seems to be ignored when it's convenient.


Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed that Turkey had begun holding water at Ilisu to win the votes of its farmers in the June 24 elections. But Ilisu is designed to generate power; there is nothing there to benefit farmers. After filling the dam to operate the generator turbines, Turkey will have to release the water anyway. Nevertheless, Ankara preferred not to challenge Abadi to avoid raising political sensitivity in Iraq.


Turkish sources told Al-Monitor that Ankara has been reasonable about releasing water to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers so as not to make life difficult for Iraq and Syria. According to a protocol signed with Syria in 1987, Turkey has to release 500 cubic meters (0.4 acre-foot) per second to the Euphrates. If that amount can't be provided during one month because of drought, then it is made up the next month. Although there is no such arrangement with Iraq for the Tigris, Turkey nevertheless informs Baghdad of the amount released to the Euphrates. Baghdad then compares the water it gets with the amount Syria receives and demands the same.

(...)

Also, Baghdad claims Turkey’s massive Southeast Anatolia Project (which includes the Ilisu Dam) has caused an 80% reduction in water flow to Iraq. About three-fourths of that entire project is complete, with 22 dams, 19 hydroelectric power stations and irrigation of 1.8 million hectares. However, more than half the Tigris' flow is fed by waters in Iraq. The river carries on average 52 billion cubic meters of water every year, with 40% coming from Turkish sources and 9% from Iran; the remaining 51% is from Iraq’s own sources.

Thus, Iraq's poor water management seems to emerge as the true culprit:

• Iraq still uses soil water canals from the days of the Sumerians, which is the main cause of its water loss. Iraq hasn't invested in irrigation systems, reservoirs and water conservation for 25 years. Two of Iraq's dams can't be used to retain water for periods of drought. The Mosul Dam was damaged during the war against the Islamic State, and the Darbandikhan Dam on the Iranian border was damaged by an earthquake.
• There is no effective coordination in Iraq among the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities.
• Iran diverted some of the streams feeding the Tigris for its dam and irrigation projects. This seriously affects Sulaimaniyah and Diyala in northern Iraq, reducing electricity production and changing the ecological balance. However, because of Baghdad's internal politics, it doesn't raise the subject with Iran.
• One factor affecting agriculture is salinization. Sewer discharges into rivers, the absence of purification systems and the misuse of water all increase water salinity. Water in Qurna, Kut and Amara in southern Iraq has twice the salinity of Mosul's water. One study found that the Euphrates' salinization increased 2.5 times between 1980 and 2009.

(...)

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ori...raq-ilisu-dam-water-crisis.html#ixzz5KcHARaGT

I'm not blaming, i'm just stating what should be done. Iraq is ruled by monkeys but that's no news thanks for reminding me lol. However it's not surprising that all htis happened since the 1990-2003 age was an era of isolation followed with regime change which takes at minimum a decade to stabilize, followed by the invasion of IS. Anyway Iraq imports too much from Iran and Turkey, 2 neighbors who interfere too much just cut the imports.

Iran has spread cancer in Iraq contrary to what Iranian regime lovers here whom are the majority believe. It's a country ruled by backward idiots, would rather live under Saddam's rule than Khamenei. As for you, i'm not sure what your point is here except saying Turkey is good, great and abides by rules whilst it sets up bases without permission and burnt Syria.

Saddam was actually great in many ways, his lack of education and short temper together with middle eastern tyran mindset caused the misery, his decisions were based on emotion rather than strategy many times. Other then that he held a great nationalistic stance. I would not mind being trashed over what I just said, but if it comes from a Khamenei supporter then you can't blame me to rather live of someone of my own, who is secular. Infact Saddam was an idiot to sign the ceasefire in 1988 when Iraq was advancing on Iran wielding a far bigger military, he should have continued instead of going for Kuwait.

Ashura should be banned again or commercialized to make money, not due to anti-Shia policies but to put a halt to these rituals of no use to people that have been dead for a long time.

 

[SALMAN F]

Well iraq also should build dams so can't let the water go to waste in the gulf

If iran and turkey do that than Iraq should do the same

I remember a kuwiti B!tch few years ago said Iraq should buy water instead of building a dam because that will effect the marine in the gulf and I say to hell with her it's our water and we are free to do what ever we want with it.she say what?! We have to buy a water so we can't destroy the creatures life in the gulf

 

[Saddam Hussein]

Will iraq also should build dams so can't let the water go to waste in the gulf

If iran and turkey do that than Iraq should do the same

I remember a kuwiti B!tch few years ago said Iraq should buy water instead of building a dam because that will effect the marine in the gulf and I say to hell with her it's our water and we are free to do what ever we want with it.she say what?! We have to buy a water so we can't destroy the creatures life in the gulf

Iraq has poor water management indeed, however building dams won't help Iraq much as far as I know. The water problem can be solved but that doesn't remove the fact that Iraq is bordered by Turkey and Iran whom have hostile regimes that Iraq is being too friendly towards. Iran should be treated like in the good old days of the 80's preferably untill they stop interfering, this military capability is unfortunately not existing at the moment being but economic imports can be cut. The Turkish base in the north would have been hit with chemical weapons in the good old days but you can't have everyting right.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Will iraq also should build dams so can't let the water go to waste in the gulf

If iran and turkey do that than Iraq should do the same

I remember a kuwiti B!tch few years ago said Iraq should buy water instead of building a dam because that will effect the marine in the gulf and I say to hell with her it's our water and we are free to do what ever we want with it.she say what?! We have to buy a water so we can't destroy the creatures life in the gulf

That woman (can't be Kuwaiti Girl can it?) is completely ignorant as water in the Gulf will not evaporate anytime soon especially not as it is linked to the Gulf of Oman which is linked to the Arabian Sea which again is linked with the Indian Ocean which again is linked to the remaining oceans of the world (Pacific and Atlantic etc.).

GCC countries use desalination plants and while this is not 100% ideal, consequences are overall small. Costs are another issue.

KSA also uses a lot of dams in Hijaz and the South but there are no border issues with that method.

A lot of more effective water techniques can be used as well which I have written about often. Combating wastefulness and outdated agricultural techniques would also help.

Much can be done and clever people have already described those methods in detail and some countries have implemented them successfully. It can be done.

Iraq has poor water management indeed, however building dams won't help Iraq much as far as I know. The water problem can be solved but that doesn't remove the fact that Iraq is bordered by Turkey and Iran whom have hostile regimes that Iraq is being too friendly towards. Iran should be treated like in the good old days of the 80's preferably untill they stop interfering, this military capability is unfortunately not existing at the moment being but economic imports can be cut. The Turkish base in the north would have been hit with chemical weapons in the good old days but you can't have everyting right.

Hostility is not necessary (I am saying this as an age-old opponent of the Mullah regime and its cancerous influence in certain Arab countries) but a clear line in the sand must be drawn and Iraq (speaking about certain political parties here and people that we all know the identity of - in fact they are actually traitors that should have faced justice for this) would do well in distancing itself from that failed regime that does nothing good for any Arab country.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Will iraq also should build dams so can't let the water go to waste in the gulf

If iran and turkey do that than Iraq should do the same

I remember a kuwiti B!tch few years ago said Iraq should buy water instead of building a dam because that will effect the marine in the gulf and I say to hell with her it's our water and we are free to do what ever we want with it.she say what?! We have to buy a water so we can't destroy the creatures life in the gulf

Speaking of 'kuwiti B!tch's, you should know that this OutOfAmmo account is another fake acc of a certain person.

 

[Saddam Hussein]

Speaking of 'kuwiti B!tch's, you should know that this OutOfAmmo account is another fake acc of a certain person.

Someone tell the CIA to hire this guy, what a genius

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Someone tell the CIA to hire this guy, what a genius

Well, long time no see Kuwaiti Girl.

@SALMAN F

For your own well-being I suggest changing your avatar.

Here is an alternative.



Since your avatar helped destroy Iraq I suggest a more recent version.



Or another one of my personal favorites.