By Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN
(CNN) — Iraq, the historic “land between two rivers,” faces a crisis striking at its identity as the Tigris and Euphrates shrink dramatically amid severe drought and the increasing toll of upstream dams, helping create the country’s worst water shortages for decades.
Once symbols of abundance, the two rivers, which both originate in Turkey, have become the focus of a struggle forcing Iraq to use its most lucrative asset – oil – to secure its water.
The country of more than 46 million people, is experiencing a sharp decline in water supply due to a tangle of factors, including the construction of upstream dams in Turkey, Iran and Syria; broken and outdated water infrastructure after decades of war, sanctions and instability; and government mismanagement. Adding pressure is a severe, climate change-fueled drought, Iraq’s worst in nearly a century.
At the same time, demand is increasing due to growing urban populations and a thirsty agricultural sector, which consumes more than 80% of Iraq’s water resources.
Heavy rain and flash floods hit Iraq for several days this month, killing at least six people, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. However, Iraq’s dams still face a large water shortage after years of low rainfall, the country’s water resources ministry said in a statement Monday.
Approximately 60% of Iraq’s water comes from sources in neighboring Turkey, yet the country is currently receiving less water compared to previous years, said Mukhtar Khamis, environmental expert and head of the Iraqi Green Climate Organization.
Upstream dams on the two rivers, particularly those built by Turkey, are significantly restricting the flow of water to Iraq, he told CNN, resulting in a substantial reduction in water availability and worsening the country’s ongoing water scarcity crisis.
Years of corruption and mismanagement have also left Iraq in a vulnerable negotiating position when it comes to water-sharing agreements, experts said.
As its water crisis escalates, Iraq has entered a controversial cooperation deal with Turkey.
In November, the two countries formalized the multi-billion-dollar Water Cooperation Framework Agreement, under which Turkish firms will build new infrastructure to improve Iraq’s water efficiency and storage. The projects will be financed with Iraqi oil revenues, effectively an attempt to convert the country’s crude oil exports into water security.
Under the deal, Iraq will sell an agreed number of barrels of oil each day, with the proceeds deposited into a fund to pay Turkish companies for work on water infrastructure projects, said Torhan al-Mufti, water affairs adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
Initial projects will include water harvesting dams and land reclamation initiatives, according to a Reuters report.
Ankara framed the initiative as mutually beneficial for regional stability and economic cooperation. “We in Turkey are keen to support Iraq’s security, development, and safety, and our support is absolute for this,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Baghdad during the signing ceremony.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein praised the deal as essential for protecting water security, food production, and economic stability. Baghdad had long been left vulnerable by the lack of formal treaties governing water from the Tigris and Euphrates, he said at the signing ceremony.
“For the first time, there