Iraq is facing harsh climate conditions, official says

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of foreign affairs revealed today that Iraq is among the top five countries in the world that face severe climate changes.

The Ministry's spokesman, Aoun Dhiab, told Shafaq News agency that Iraq is losing its water resources progressively, noting that the rainfall this year was not enough to cover the country's need for water at all.

He added that rain did not fall in western areas, nor in the governorates that suffer from drought the most (Diyala and Wasit).

"On the long term, the ministries of water resources and agriculture are working to reconsider the adopted irrigation methods, so that a small quantity of water can be enough for a wide area", Dhiab indicated.

Yesterday, The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Iraq (UN SRSG) and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said, "Iraq is acutely vulnerable to water scarcity due to climate change, reduced river inflows. A threat multiplier with heightened risks of poverty, displacement, instability, conflict. Shared ownership of this crucial file across the political spectrum will prove essential."