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.
IranIranBaghdad
KuwaitKuwait
JordanJordan
MosulErbil
Najaf
Kirkuk
Kut
Amara
Ramadi
Samaw
Nassirriya
Basra
Baquba
Karbala
Sulaimaniya
Hilla
Duhok
Diwaniya
SyriaSyriaTikrit
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
TurkeyTurkey
Euphrates
Tigris
M.O.D
Karkha R.
3%
85%
12%
Iraq
Turkey
Syria
Countries contributing to Euphrates R.
56%
32%
12%
Iraq
Turkey
Iran
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 BCM2000
Kerkamish 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
-197
6
1976
-197
7
1977
-197
8
1978
-197
9
1979
-198
0
1980
-198
1
1981
-198
2
1982
-198
3
1983
-198
4
1984
-198
5
1985
-198
6
1986
-198
7
1987
-198
8
1988
-198
9
1989
-199
0
1990
-199
1
1991
-199
2
1992
-199
3
1993
-199
4
1994
-199
5
1995
-199
6
1996
-199
7
1997
-199
8
1998
-199
9
1999
-200
0
2000
-200
1
2001
-200
2
2002
-200
3
2003
-200
4
2004
-200
50
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. 1925-73
Month Ave 1975-05
Annual Mean 1925-73
Annual 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 1999-20090
5
10
15
20
25
30Euphrates River Annual Average Discharge at Iraq’s
border in BCMTotal 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