Iraq: Levels of Tigris and Euphrates Plunge in South

People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
TT

Iraq: Levels of Tigris and Euphrates Plunge in South

People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed a sharp decrease in their levels in the south of the country, officials said Sunday, pledging to take urgent measures to ease water shortages.

In Nasiriyah, capital of the southern province of Dhi Qar, an AFP photographer saw the river bed of the mighty Euphrates dry in patches.

The water ministry blamed the situation in some southern provinces on "the low quantity of water reaching Iraq from neighboring Türkiye".

"This has triggered a sharp drop in the country's water reserves," it said in a statement.

The Tigris and the Euphrates both have their source in Türkiye, and authorities in Iraq have long accused the Ankara government of withholding water in dams that choke the rivers, dramatically reducing flows into Iraq.

Iraqi authorities also accuse farmers of abusing water supplies and flouting restrictions to irrigate their lands.

Water scarcity hitting farming and food security are already among the "main drivers of rural-to-urban migration" in Iraq, the UN and several non-government groups said in June 2022.

According to official Iraqi statistics from last year, the level of the Tigris entering Iraq has dropped to just 35 percent of its average over the past century.

Water ministry spokesman Khaled Chamal said Sunday that Iraq was getting only 30 percent of the water it expected from the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Iraq regularly asks Türkiye to release more water, and has imposed measures to ration water for agriculture and domestic use.

Water is also often held back in dams in Iraq's north, triggering anger among residents in the south.

Chamal told AFP the latest drop in water levels in both the Tigris and Euphrates in the country's south was "temporary".

Authorities will increase levels by releasing water from Iraqi dams in the northern areas of Mosul, Dukan and Darbandikhan, he added.

"There should be positive results within the next two days," he said.



Drought Has Dried Major Amazon River Tributary to Lowest Level in over 122 Years

 A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
TT

Drought Has Dried Major Amazon River Tributary to Lowest Level in over 122 Years

 A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)
A part of the Negro River is dry at the port in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, amid severe drought. (AP)

One of the Amazon River's main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, Brazil's geological service said Friday, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country.

The level of the Negro River at the port of Manaus was at 12.66 meters on Friday, as compared with a normal level of about 21 meters. It is the lowest since measurements started 122 years ago.

The previous record low level was recorded last year, but toward the end of October.

The Negro River's water level might drop even more in coming weeks based on forecasts for low rainfall in upstream regions, according to the geological service's predictions.

Andre Martinelli, the agency's hydrology manager in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river was expected to continue receding until the end of the month.

Water levels in Brazil's Amazon always rise and fall with its rainy and dry seasons, but the dry portion of this year has been much worse than usual.

All of the major rivers in the Amazon basin are at critical levels, including the Madeira River, the Amazon River's longest tributary.

The Negro River drains about 10% of the Amazon basin and is the world's sixth-largest by water volume. Manaus, the biggest city in the rainforest, is where the Negro joins the Amazon River.

For locals, the drought has made basic daily activities impossible. Gracita Barbosa, 28, works as a cashier on a floating shop on the Negro River.

She's out of work because boats that once stopped there can no longer navigate the river due to the low water levels.

Barbosa can no longer bathe in the river and now has to travel longer distances to collect drinking water.