Study the effects of reduction of water levels of Tigris and Euphrates rivers and climate change on salinization and desertification in middle and south of Iraq

Abstract EN

The current study investigated the consequences of gradual declining of Iraqi's water resources and climate change / variability upon land degradation as results of salinization and desertification in middle and south of Iraq.

Historically Iraq depends mainly upon flow of Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

In spite the difficulty to estimate the annual flow of both rivers due to precipitation variability of catchment areas.

The annual flow has been decreased to the less than the third of his natural flow as a result of damming of upstream countries mainly by Turkey after establishing Gap project.

According to the current study the annual mean (2004-2012) was 45.77 bcm / year, while expected to decline to 43 and 17.61 for 2015 and 2025 respectively.

Climate change in Iraq has accelerated during recent years.

The long term mean of monthly temperature increased between 3.3 C (in June) and 0.7 C (in November), while annual rainfall mean decreased from 194.2 to 179.5 mm / year between 1900 and 2009.

Iraq recently threatens by recurrent droughts (metrological and hydrological) due to decreasing both rivers flow and rainfall rates.

Most soils in middle and south of Iraq are undergone to different degrees of salinity, where salt affected soils cover almost 70 % of lower part of Mesopotamia plain.

It is estimate that Iraq losing about 100.000 donums of agricultural land as a result of salinity.

Water quality of both rivers has been deteriorated due to change the water regimes of upstream and discharging the untreated wastewater (domestic and industrial), agricultural runoff and irrigation return flow to rivers.

Most soils of middle and south of Iraq suffered from desertification and soil erosion due to drought and environmental mismanagement .The inappropriate farming practices and mismanagement of water resources had exacerbated the impacts of an already dry climate and contributed to desertification.

39% of country surfaces are affected by desertification and 54 % under threat.

Drought, desertification and windy weather are responsible for increasing the rates of dust and sand storms.

The study reflected the need to a strategy for balancing between water requirement of different sectors (agriculture, industry, civilian uses and hydro power production) while meeting environmental requirements including restoration of marshland.

The government should play pressure on the upstream countries to obtain her share from rivers water according to agreements between Iraq with these countries and to international laws.