'Iraq loses 100,000 donums of agricultural lands to desertification each year': Agricultural Ministry
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq is losing a staggering 100,000 donums (about 10,000 hectares) of agricultural land per year, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced on Saturday.
The Director-General of Forests and Desertification Directorate of the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture Rawiya Al-Azawi announced on Saturday that Iraq has been losing approximately 100,000 donums of agricultural lands per year to desertification for the past decade.
She warned that this phenomenon would hugely impact the ministry's agricultural plan and revealed that the ministry has proposed establishing a special fund for combating desertification.
Al-Azawi pointed out that increased desertification is due to global warming and climate change, which has reduced rainfall. She added that Iraq's geography makes it more vulnerable to global warming.
The desertification process is also accelerated by the decreasing water levels in Iraqi rivers. The sources of Iraq's main rivers are in neighboring countries, which Al-Azawi pointed out are not abiding by international laws concerning the quantities of water that should flow into Iraq.
"If the situation continues in the southern provinces, there will be a major drinking water crisis in the next few years," she warned.
She explained that Iraq needs to develop its irrigation system, build dams for collecting water, and use modern agricultural methods that use water economically.
In April, the Director of the General Company for Grain Trade at the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, Muhammad Hanoun, revealed that the country will only produce about two million tons of wheat this season.
"This season's decrease would be 50% compared to what was marketed last season," Hannoun told Iraq's Al-Sabah newspaper.
He attributed this reduction to "decreasing water portions, lack of rain, and delays paying farmers' dues."