iraq
Newsletter
Drought in Syria, Iran and Iraq made ‘extreme’ by global warming, attribution study says
Syria, Iraq and Iran were parched by high temperatures that would have been “virtually impossible” without the effects of global warming, scientists said.
Newsletter
Climate change in Iraq: A warning for the rest of the world
Once a verdant and fertile land, even as recently as the 1980s, Iraq becomes more arid each year as desertification spreads.
Newsletter
A climate warning from the cradle of civilization
How extreme temperatures and dwindling water are pushing the Fertile Crescent toward the brink.
Newsletter
How climate change causes culture clashes in Iraq's cities
Drought is forcing thousands of rural Iraqis migrate to cities for work, bringing with them their own cultural ideas. This has caused community conflicts, sometimes even violence, in big cities like Baghdad and Basra.
Iraq plants mangrove forest to fight climate disaster
As Aymen al-Rubaye plants mangrove seedlings in the sprawling tidal flats of southern Iraq, the black smoke rising over the skyline behind him shows the ecological damage that he is toiling to undo.
Newsletter
Iraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south
Iraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south
Journalists Sara Manisera and Daniela Sala write about Western oil companies who are exacerbating water shortages and causing pollution in Iraq as they race to profit from rising oil prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a nutshell
Western oil companies, including Eni, BP, and ExxonMobil, are exacerbating water shortages and pollution in Iraq as they seek to profit from rising oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The extraction process requires large amounts of water, causing a decline in Iraq's water resources as oil exports increase. The construction of dams and water treatment plants by these companies is disrupting the natural flow of water and contributing to water scarcity, displacement, and social instability in the region.
Key quote
“Overall the volume of water injections required is not huge, but in water-stressed areas this can cause serious problems,” said Robert Mills, the chief executive of Qamar Energy, an independent consultancy, and author of a 2018 report on Iraq’s water injection needs.
Big picture
As Western oil companies pump large quantities of water into the ground to extract oil, it leads to a depletion of water resources in regions already facing water scarcity. This exacerbates water stress and can potentially trigger conflicts over access to water, adding to existing geopolitical tensions. Additionally, the environmental consequences of this water-intensive process, such as pollution and gas flaring, contribute to climate change and air pollution, affecting not only local populations but also having implications for global environmental health.
Read the full Guardian story here.
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Iraq faces steep challenge to wean economy off oil dependency
Oil sales make up 90 percent of Iraq’s budget revenue as it recovers from years of devastating conflicts and political upheaval, leaving it overly reliant on the sector.
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