Iraq: Water, Life, and the Fight Against Climate
In an instant, dark clouds engulfed the sky, obscuring the scorching sun in Al-Hizamat, a small village near Afak district in Iraq's Diwaniyah Governorate. Rain was imminent. Almost. A few minutes later, the clouds vanished faster than they had appeared, and the sun glared down again—sizzling, searing, sweltering.
This village, located in the country's south, has about 1,200 inhabitants spread among 125 households. In 1975, approximately 600 families were displaced, due to the political decisions of the time, and Al-Hizamat had become their new home. However, because of severe drought conditions that began in 2018, the community, primarily dependent on agriculture and livestock for its livelihood, suffered significant hardships. Due to dwindling agricultural opportunities, many people migrated to city centres and other provinces seeking economic opportunities.
Adverse weather conditions and substandard living conditions have led to substantial economic losses, particularly among the elderly and children. The drought and drying of local water resources, including the vital Al-Hizamat River and irrigation canals, have rendered most water treatment facilities non-functional. Consequently, many households now rely on boreholes for domestic water consumption.
For almost 5,000 years, Iraq's Marshes indigenous people have fished and cultivated crops in the wetlands not too far away from where I stood. Floating reed islands are built where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet before flowing into the Gulf, where water buffalo are raised and reed houses are constructed.
For thousands of years, ancient Mesopotamia was a land of agriculture since the two main rivers surrounded the Fertile Crescent, where the first civilizations thrived on crops and livestock. Fast forward to this day, and climate change, water pollution, oil exploration, and the construction of upstream dams imperil the survival of this fragile ecosystem and its ancient Mesopotamian culture, which some claim traces back to the Sumerians. In contrast to the fertile and abundant lands, which once prospered with agriculture, today, most of the lands here are barren and parched. Fishermen, farmers, and boatbuilders, among others, are abandoning lives that depend on water and relocating to cities, desperately looking for better economic opportunities.
In the past 30 years, life has been brilliant. We expanded our farm fields, planting and farming most of the seasonal vegetables, rice, wheat, and fruits. The current situation is miserable, and life is almost impossible. The only economic activity in the village is farming. Most of the families stopped farming, while others left their fields looking for water, said Adel Mohan, a local farmer.
To put the scope of the problem in perspective, Iraq is listed among the five countries most affected by climate change according to the UN. Desertification threatens 92% of Iraqi land, while temperature is rising seven times faster than anywhere else on earth.
As I return away from the scorching sun, my eyes are drawn to the reverse osmosis unit (RO) built by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), recognizing the crisis in these parts of the country. This village and the Afak district have been identified as one of the most impacted areas due to water scarcity and climate challenges. The IRCS installed this RO unit together with the ICRC in 2023 under an operational cooperation agreement entitled "Improving Access to Safe Water in Selected Vulnerable Communities in Iraq's Southern Governorates and Strengthening Emergency Preparedness of IRCS Water and Sanitation Department."
The initiative aims to improve the living conditions of communities in southern Iraq affected by climate change. The project involved the installation of a desalination treatment plant with a capacity of 2,000 litres per hour, powered by a 15 KW solar system, to mitigate electricity fluctuations and reduce dependence on diesel fuel amid ongoing power shortages and fuel crises.
The ICRC's Water and Habitat team provided technical support and closely monitored the installation process, fully funding the implementation of the project. Additionally, IRCS extended this initiative to the nearest school by installing a water cooler to benefit around 150–200 students.
When dark clouds gathered again a few minutes later, a few droplets of rain sprinkled across my face, reminding me of the euphoria people would experience when they filled their vessels from the outlets, and how thrilled they would feel when they first splashed water on their faces.
Local farmers described the project as a motivation for the families to stay in the village rather than leave to search for water. Mosa Lateef Radhi, a tribe leader in the village, pointed out that the children can continue to attend the local school if the water becomes accessible.
