Updated: The Tigris Together With Euphrates Are Drying Up—And It's Far From Natural

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From The Independent, July 2:

Catastrophic drought threatens Republic of Iraq every bit major dams inwards surrounding countries cutting off H2O to its slap-up rivers 

Iraq subsequently Isis: After decades of country of war – including the final battle against Isis – Iraq is inwards danger of losing the waters of the Tigris in addition to Euphrates. In the commencement business office of a novel series, Patrick Cockburn reports that as Turkey, Syrian Arab Republic in addition to Islamic Republic of Iran dam its rivers, parts of the province are turning into desert

“I in 1 lawsuit rescued a friend from drowning when he was swept away past times the forcefulness of the electrical current every bit nosotros were swimming inwards the Diyala river,” says Qasim Sabti, a painter in addition to gallery possessor inwards Baghdad.
“That was fifty years ago,” he recalls. “I went dorsum at that spot lately in addition to the H2O inwards the Diyala is in addition to hence shallow today that a homo could walk across it amongst his dog.”

The rivers of Iraq, higher upwards all the Tigris in addition to Euphrates, are drying up. The province is becoming to a greater extent than arid, in addition to desertification is eating into the express amount of agricultural land.
Dams built upriver inwards Turkey, Syria and Iran since the 1970s accept reduced the time period of H2O that reaches Republic of Iraq past times every bit much every bit one-half in addition to the province of affairs is virtually to larn worse.

“On 1 July, Turkey volition receive down filling the Ilisu dam on the Tigris in addition to this volition crusade about other reject inwards the inflows to our province of virtually fifty per cent,” Hassan Janabi, government minister of H2O resources, told The Independent.

He says that Republic of Iraq used to larn thirty billion cubic metres of H2O a twelvemonth from the Euphrates, exactly at in 1 lawsuit “we are happy if nosotros larn xvi billion cubic metres”....MORE

HT: Naked Capitalism

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