Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna
Water shortages and rising pollution levels are threateningpublic health and agriculture in Al-Muthanna province, southern Iraq, theprovince's head of Environment Directorate warned on Tuesday.
Amir Kadhim Al-Aradhi told Shafaq News that untreatedwastewater discharged into the river by Al-Muthanna's Sewerage Directorateremains the main source of water pollution. He added that improper use of riverwater and the spread of invasive water hyacinth have further degraded waterquality, while ongoing scarcity has affected people, livestock, biodiversity,and farmland across the province.
Al-Muthanna depends on the Al-Hilla River for its waterallocation, but the volumes reaching the province are insufficient to meetlocal demand. Additionally, Al-Aradhi said, rising temperatures in the province’svast desert areas and limited vegetation cover make it particularly vulnerableto extreme heat and climate change, increasing water evaporation and placingadditional pressure on agricultural land.
Last Month, the Green Iraq Observatory estimated that 40.4million dunams (4.04 million hectares), representing 23.2% of Iraq's land area,have already turned into desert, while another 96 million dunams (9.6 millionhectares) remain vulnerable. The country also loses about 100,000 dunams(10,000 hectares) of farmland annually to salinity and soil degradation, withDhi Qar, Maysan, Al-Muthanna, and Al-Diwaniyah among the worst-affectedprovinces.
: Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues
