Shafaq News – Baghdad

On Saturday, Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture announced that the area allocated for rice cultivation has dropped to 200 dunams after the country entered a stage of water scarcity.

Agriculture Ministry adviser Mahdi al-Qaisi told Shafaq News that the water reserves are at critically low levels, as confirmed by the Ministry of Water Resources.

Outlining the ministry’s measures to address the crisis, al-Qaisi explained that steps had been taken in anticipation of declining water inflows, including efforts to import sprinkler irrigation systems to reduce and rationalize water use. “These systems save 70 to 80 percent of water compared to flood irrigation used for wheat,” he noted.

Over the past two years, the ministry launched tenders and contracts with the Ministry of Industry, introducing 13,000 sprinkler irrigation units of varying capacities—60, 80, and 120 dunams. These were distributed to farmers with a 30 percent subsidy, while the remaining cost is payable in installments over ten years.

Al-Qaisi affirmed that that the ministry now seeks approval to expand the use of sprinkler systems and groundwater next year to maintain wheat self-sufficiency. He also noted that the Ministry of Water Resources has committed to providing irrigation for orchards, including citrus, palm, and vegetables, through drip irrigation. Date production, he said, remains secure due to guaranteed water allocations.

Iraq has for years faced a worsening drought, considered one of the most serious environmental challenges in its modern history. Climate change, reduced rainfall, and sharply declining water flows from upstream countries such as Turkiye and Iran have all exacerbated the crisis.

These conditions have led to shrinking farmland, expanding desertification, and mounting threats to food security, directly affecting the livelihoods of millions of Iraqis, particularly in rural and agricultural communities. At the same time, water storage in dams and reservoirs has dropped below safe levels.

Published Date: August 24, 2025