Dr. Miran Hussein
In the Middle East, there are dozens of conflicts due to water, such as the conflict between Iraq and Syria over the Euphrates River, Iraq’s conflict with Iran and Turkey over the Tigris River and its sources, the dispute between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam, and the conflict between Iran and Afghanistan over the Helmand River.
Sometimes countries use the water issue as a pressure card on other countries to gain political and security gains. One of the drivers of water conflicts between countries is global climate change, which has increased the value and importance of water as a strategic wealth for countries and affects national security.
However, the importance and value of water in the world have undergone very significant changes due to the emergence of climate change features globally in general and in the Middle East in particular. This is due to the consequences of climate change, reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, and disruption of seasons, which ultimately have a negative impact on providing necessary water for citizens, agricultural production, irrigation, and economic sectors related to water. This poses a risk to dozens of countries worldwide.
This has made countries around the world deal with the water issue with greater importance. Dozens of countries in the world are at risk of drought, which has been a catalyst for many countries to implement very large budgets for the construction of dams, irrigation projects, and water use methods to benefit from water, which is now viewed as a natural resource more than ever before.
The Kurdistan Region is one of the richest areas in water resources globally, due to the presence of a large number of rivers and water sources. It is considered one of the areas where rainfall is guaranteed due to adequate rainfall and snow. This has made the Kurdistan Region rich in water.
Although great importance has been given to the field of water retention, construction of new dams, and water projects during the ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Kurdistan Region needs to pay more attention to water.
In the next stage, the Kurdistan Region needs to have a long-term strategy for the water sector, which includes the construction of several large and medium-sized dams, water retention, water and irrigation projects, review of the agricultural irrigation system and water use, methods of dealing with water, and spreading awareness about water use among individuals, because day by day the importance of water increases.
Due to the fact that neighboring countries of the Kurdistan Region deal with the water issue with importance, which is an international perspective and not specific to the policy of neighboring countries, the Kurdistan Region needs to have a good understanding with neighboring countries regarding the water issue in a way that serves the interests of both parties. The issue of rivers and water sources that originate from neighboring countries and flow into the Kurdistan Region should be a main file in the relations between the region and those countries.