Water Security in IraqDamascus 15 Sep 2010

Dr. Hassan JanabiIraq’s Ambassador to the

UN Agencies in Rome

Central Marshes Irrigated Agriculture

What is Water Security?

1. Accessibility in time and space.

2. Utilization of the resource to achieve economic development.

3. Managing the resources sustainably to ensure the right quantity and quality.

What is Water Security? Con’td

4. Water Sharing Agreement with riparian countries.

5. Environmental protection.

6. Balancing the demand on the resource.

IranBaghdad

Kuwait

Jordan

MosulErbil

Najaf

Kirkuk

Kut

Amara

Ramadi

Samaw Nassirriya

Basra

Baquba

Karbala

Sulaimaniya

Hilla

Duhok

Diwaniya

SyriaTikrit

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Euphrates

Tigris

M.O.D

Karkha R.

3%

85%

12%

Iraq

Turkey

Syria

Countries contributing to Euphrates R.

56%

32%12%

IraqTurkeyIran

Countries contributing toTigris R.

48 BCM

28 BCM

Marshes

Flows in Iraqi Rivers

Mar-Jun70%

Jul-Sep (Max Irr. Demand)

10%

Oct-Feb20%

Max Demand

Storing period

5

Tigris

Tharthar Outlet Regulator

Tigris – Euphrates Regulator

Euphrates

Shatt Al-Arab

Mosul Dam

Ramadi Barrage

Diyala Weir

Adhaim Dam

Derbendikham Dam

Dokan Dam

Haditha Dam

Dohuk Dam

Hemrin Dam

Kut Barrage

Ramadi Barrage

Fallujah Barrage

Tharthar Outlet Regulator

Gharaff Regulator

Control Structures

Maximum Storage Capacity

Dokan Dam18%

Mosul Dam31%

Haditha Dam24%

Adhaim Dam9%

Hemrin Dam9% Derbendi-

khan Dam9%

Current Total Storage: 157 BCM

UNCLASSIFIED

Kiban 31 BCM1975 Biricik 1.2 BCM

2000Kerkamish

0.2 BCM1999

Tabqa 12 BCM1975

Tishreen 2 BCM1999

Dam Construction since mid 1970s

Kerkha 8 BCM2001

Karun 14 BCM2001-2006

(Series of dams)

Duz 3.5 BCM1962

Ataturk 50 BCM1990

Kerekaya 10 BCM1987

Declining inflows

1975

-1976

1976

-1977

1977

-1978

1978

-1979

1979-1

980

1980-1

981

1981

-1982

1982

-1983

1983

-1984

1984

-1985

1985

-1986

1986

-1987

1987-1

988

1988

-1989

1989

-1990

1990

-1991

1991

-1992

1992-1

993

1993

-1994

1994-1

995

1995

-1996

1996

-1997

1997

-1998

1998

-1999

1999-2

000

2000

-2001

2001

-2002

2002

-2003

2003

-2004

2004

-2005

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Mean annual discharge in the Euphrates (m3/s)1975-2005

Q m

3/s

Filling of Ataturk DamTrend Line

0200400600800

10001200140016001800200022002400

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

Euphrates River Mean Monthly Discharges m3/s

Month Ave. 1925-73Month Ave 1975-05Annual Mean 1925-73Annual Mean 1975-05

703 m3/s

958 m3/s

Loss of 9.1 BCM /year

2005 – 1925Euphrates

Storage Volumes

• Turkish Storages– 92BCM on

Euphrates– 17BCM on Tigris

(planned)

• Syrian Storages – 14.5BCM on

Euphrates– 1.5BCM from Tigris

(Previous agreement)

How Water Security in Iraq is being impacted?

•Intensive construction of dams.•Wars, particularly Iraq-Iran war and the occupation of Kuwait.•Draining of the marshes.•Pollution and degradation of water quality.•Fast urbanization.•High rate of water use (twice the population growth rate).

How Water Security in Iraq is being impacted?...Cont’d

•Lack of long term water sharing agreement between riparian countries, Iraq, Syria, Turkey & Iran.•Unsustainable approach in managing water resources in the upper reaches of Euphrates and Tigris rivers basins.

How Water Security in Iraq is being impacted?...Cont’d

1973-74 1975-2009 1999-200905

1015202530

Euphrates River Annual Average Discharge at Iraq’s border in BCM

Total Annual flow 2009

1937-74

How Water Security in Iraq is being impacted?...Cont’d

Long term 2008-20090

10

20

30

40

50

Tigris R. Total Average FlowBCM

Iraq Water Requirement

• Iraq has 22 million donum of cultivable land 13 million donum are

currently cultivated. 4.3 million are equiped with

irrigation and drainage network.

• Water requirement in Iraq is estimated at 70 BCM per annum

The way forward

• Strict national water management strategy based on IWRM principles

• Long term water sharing agreement.

• Basin-wide & regional approaches to mitigate and adapt to climate change

Water Security in Iraq

Thank you

•Dr. Hassan Janabi

•Iraq’s Ambassador to the • UN Agencies

in Rome