Latest news with #WaterResourcesMinistry
The National
25-05-2025
- Climate
- The National
Iraq's water reserves fall by nearly half to lowest levels in 80 years
Iraq's water reserves are at their lowest levels in 80 years after a dry rainy season, a government official said on Sunday, as its intake from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers shrinks. Water is a major issue in a country of 46 million people undergoing a serious environmental crisis because of climate change, drought, rising temperatures and declining rainfall. Authorities also blame upstream dams built in neighbouring Iran and Turkey for lowering the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates, which have irrigated Iraq for thousands of years. 'The summer season should begin with at least 18 billion cubic metres … yet we only have about 10 billion cubic metres,' Water Resources Ministry spokesman Khaled Shamal told AFP. 'Last year, our strategic reserves were better. It was double what we have now,' Mr Shamal said. 'We haven't seen such a low reserve in 80 years,' he added, which he said was mostly due to the reduced flow from the two rivers. He said sparse rainfall this winter and low water levels from melting snow has worsened the situation in Iraq, considered by the United Nations to be one of the five countries most vulnerable to some effects of climate change. Water shortages have forced many farmers in Iraq to abandon the land, and authorities have reduced farming activity to ensure sufficient supplies of drinking water. Agricultural planning in Iraq always depends on water, and this year it aims to preserve 'green spaces and productive areas' amounting to more than 1.5 million Iraqi dunams (375,000 hectares), said Mr Shamal. Last year, authorities allowed farmers to cultivate 2.5 million dunams of corn, rice, and orchards, according to the Water Ministry. Water has been a source of tension between Iraq and Turkey, which has urged Baghdad to adopt efficient water management plans. In 2024, Iraq and Turkey signed a 10-year 'framework agreement', mostly to invest in projects to ensure better water resources management.
Times of Oman
25-05-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Tackling water scarcity requires speed, scale, determination, FAO says
Baghdad: The world needs to act with speed, scale and determination to tackle the growing threat of water scarcity and climate shocks, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, told the 5th Baghdad International Water Conference. Hosted by the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, the conference offered FAO the chance to convene experts, policymakers, and partners to share knowledge and foster collaboration for sustainable water and agricultural development. Across the world, water is under growing pressure from rising demand, intensifying droughts and competing interests. The situation is particularly critical in Iraq, where water has an historical legacy. Mesopotamia - "the land between two rivers" - was the cradle of ancient civilisations like the Sumerians and the Babylonians. Today, water management systems like its canals and qanats underpin Iraq's identity, celebrated in art, literature, and religious texts. The country's agriculture sector - and its food security - rely heavily on water, with over 90 per cent of this precious resource used for irrigation, supporting staple crops like wheat, barley, rice, and date palms. Without sustainable water management, Iraq risks losing up to 50 per cent of its wheat and barley yields by 2050, increasing its reliance on volatile global markets. Moreover, disappearing water resources threaten to erase millennia-old traditions, displacing communities and cutting ties to historical landscapes. In the case of Iraq, preserving its water heritage means maintaining historical legacies and social cohesion. The challenges posed by water scarcity affect not just Iraq, but much of the Middle East and many other regions around the world. Tackling such challenges requires acting with "speed, scale and determination," Qu said. According to the FAO Director-General, priority should be placed on ensuring that water technologies are affordable and accessible. policymakers should also strengthen local capacity and empower farmers - especially youth and women. Finally, there's a need to scale-up what works, from smart irrigation to sustainable energy through knowledge and training programmes. In the meantime, FAO has been carrying out a series of initiatives in Iraq and the Middle East through its WaPOR programme - an open-access portal using remote sensing to help farmers use water more efficiently. Last year, for instance, FAO supported Iraq in securing a USD 39 million project co-financed by the Green Climate Fund to modernize irrigation, strengthen Water User Associations, promote climate-resilient agricultural practices and develop efficient and effective water and energy management policies. "Addressing water scarcity and droughts require science-based and integrated approaches," Qu said. "FAO is committed to continuing to provide reliable data, technical expertise and strategic partnerships," so that it may support those most in need to achieve the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life - leaving no one behind.
Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Ministry warns: India not authorised to construct dams or structures
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water Resources has issued a stern warning, declaring that India is not authorized to construct dams or structures that obstruct the flow of water on the western rivers. Any such action, it warned, will be regarded as an act of war and met with an appropriate response. During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources presided over by Senator Shahdat Awan on Thursday, a team of Water Resources Ministry—led by Federal Minister Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza, and Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Mehar Ali Shah—provided detailed insight into India's recent moves to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. The Pakistani officials asserted that India cannot unilaterally suspend the treaty. 'India has already constructed dams on the eastern rivers, which fall under its share, and diverted their water. Now, it is attempting to violate the agreement regarding the western rivers,' said Commissioner Mehar Ali Shah. 'India may build hydroelectric projects on the western rivers under certain conditions, but it is not authorized to construct dams or any structure that blocks the natural flow of these rivers.' He emphasized that if India lacks the legal authority to terminate the agreement unilaterally, then such actions are unacceptable and illegal. Shah further explained that while India has expressed a desire to modify the treaty, Pakistan has never refused dialogue. 'Under Article XII of the IWT, modifications are possible through mutual consent. However, there is no clause that obligates one party to accept the other's proposed changes,' he noted, adding that discussions have been ongoing since January 2023. The committee was also informed that water flow in the Chenab River showed a temporary variation lasting only four days, after which normal inflows resumed. Responding to a question from Senator Humayun Mohmand, Secretary Water Resources Syed Ali Murtaza stressed that Pakistan will not legitimize India's illegal actions under any circumstances. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Scroll.in
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Indus Waters Treaty will stay suspended until Pakistan stops ‘support for terrorism': New Delhi
The Indus Waters Treaty will stay suspended until Pakistan 'credibly and irrevocably' stop its 'support for cross-border terrorism', the Union Jal Shakti Ministry has informed the Cabinet secretary, reported PTI on Saturday. On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons were killed, India suspended the 1960 agreement on water sharing, citing Islamabad's support for 'sustained cross-border terrorism'. On Tuesday, Debashree Mukherjee, secretary in the Water Resources Ministry, reiterated in the monthly report to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan that the treaty was kept in 'abeyance' in the aftermath of the 'Pakistan-sponsored' attack. The treaty sought to divide the water of the Indus river and its tributaries equitably between the two countries. Under the treaty, water from three eastern rivers – Beas, Ravi and Sutlej – were allocated to India and from the three western rivers – Chenab, Indus and Jhelum – to Pakistan. The treaty permitted both countries to use the other's rivers for certain purposes, such as small hydroelectric projects that require little or no water storage. It allowed for the harnessing of the Chenab, which is one of the western rivers in the Indus Water system, for power generation. Pakistan had earlier said that India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty was an 'act of war' and warned that it would respond with 'full force across the complete spectrum of national power'. Islamabad called New Delhi's actions 'unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit', according to a statement of Pakistan's National Security Committee published by Dawn. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad had escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and seven defence personnel were killed.
Economic Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty
Agencies India serves note verbale to Pakistan on abeyance of Indus Water Treaty New Delhi: India has served a note verbale (formal diplomatic communication) to the Pakistan High Commission, notifying its decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty under abeyance in the backdrop of sustained cross-border linkages to terror attacks in note verbale was served along with a letter from the secretary of the Water Resources Ministry to the Pakistan High Commission here on Thursday night, ET has learnt. The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said: 'The Indus Water Treaty was concluded by India with Pakistan in a spirit of goodwill and friendship in 1960. Pakistan through its well documented, state-sponsored terrorism directed against India has corroded this spirit. India cannot be expected to continue to cooperate with a country which is responsible for killing innocent civilians.' The letter from the Ministry of Water Resources to Syed Ali Murtuza, secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan, said: "The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir." The letter also mentioned that Pakistan has consistently ignored India's efforts to work out certain issues that have cropped up with "fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed". "These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty," the letter in the letter also said in addition, consistent cross-border terrorism has given rise to "uncertainties' that have "directly impeded India's full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty"."Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India's request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty," the letter read. The letter came shortly after Islamabad retaliated against New Delhi's diplomatic moves after the Pahalgam terror attack and threatened to suspend all agreements between the two countries, including the Simla pact of 1972, which validates the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Ambika Vishwanath, cofounder and director of Kubernein Initiative that deals with water security and climate issues, told ET: 'The suspension of the IWT (Indus Water Treaty) is unfortunate but it sends a very clear message… In a small way the suspension also leaves a tiny gap open for potential revision at a later stage if and when diplomatic ties do resume, which is a smart move on India's part. It is leverage we can use smartly both with Pakistan but also with the international community as needed." India's Cabinet Committee on Security, which met Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, decided that the Indus Waters Treaty will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
