Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq will adopt modernirrigation systems and stricter water management measures for the 2026 summeragricultural season to confront worsening drought conditions and persistentwater shortages, the ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture said onSaturday.
The plan includes integratedprograms for water distribution among provinces and promotes modern irrigationmethods and laser land-leveling technology to improve efficiency.
Water Resources MinisterMuthanna Al-Tamimi affirmed the ministry’s commitment to securing the waterreleases required to implement the agricultural plan in line with availablereserves and Iraq’s broader water management strategy.
The measures come as Iraqfaces escalating climate pressures and recurring drought seasons that haveseverely affected agriculture and water supplies in recent years. Officialestimates indicate that annual water inflows have dropped to between 25 and 40billion cubic meters, around 30–40% of historical averages, while the country’syearly needs exceed 50 billion cubic meters. Strategic reserves stored in majordams and lakes have also fallen to between 7 and 10 billion cubic meters,sharply reducing Baghdad’s ability to withstand prolonged shortages.
According to the statement,the 2026 summer agricultural plan includes the cultivation of 361,900 dunams(about 90,475 hectares) of rice, in addition to yellow corn and summervegetable crops, with planting operations scheduled to begin on June 20.
: Iraq’s water crisis: A structural rewrite of agricultural governance
