Global Courant
Part 2 of a People & Power investigation into Iraq’s growing water crisis and its impact on rural communities.
Iraq is running out of water. According to the United Nations, the country is the fifth most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Temperatures have risen more than 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century, double the global average. The impact has become particularly visible in the past two years. The water level in the Euphrates and Tigris has fallen by half.
The Iraqi government blames upstream water use by neighboring countries as the main culprit, but has been criticized for not taking steps on climate mitigation or adaptation strategies. And many Iraqis say water use in the oil industry is making the problem worse.
In part two of our film, Iraq’s Water Wars, People & Power meets buffalo herders and other communities at risk of losing their way of life and examines water use by the oil industry.
Watch part one here.
