Why water is a growing faultline between Turkey and Iraq

[Theseus]

 Why water is a growing faultline between Turkey and Iraq

Upstream projects will produce energy and jobs, but Iraq fears for livelihoods downstream 

 

Excerpts:

 

They are from different generations, different countries, and live 1,100km apart. Yet the fates of Suleyman Agalday and Nashwa Nasr are intertwined by policies transforming the Tigris River that has irrigated their societies for centuries. 

 

Today, both are threatened with displacement. In south-east Turkey, Mr Agalday, 39, will see the ancient caves and rock formations of his hometown, Hasankeyf, flooded as the waters slowly rise because of his government’s controversial Ilisu dam. Engineers are due to start filling the reservoir this month. In the months ahead, homes, gardens and thousands of years of history will be submerged. 

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Mr Janabi’s ministry proposed a 20-year project to develop sustainable water practices, at a cost of $184bn. But Iraq, saddled with $71bn of debt and beset by years of low oil prices, cannot afford it. “We need to adapt, but adaptation costs money,” says Mr Janabi. “And that money is not available.”

For many along the Tigris, adaptation is not even an option. In Hasankeyf, Mr Agalday awaits the day that he is forced to leave the town — and wonders if his grandmother’s cave will be submerged along with the rest of the lush valley.

In sweltering Chibayish, Ms Nasr and her stepsons debate whether to follow neighbours who fled towards Iran’s marshlands seeking a head start against drought. “We won’t survive in a city,” says her stepson Ahmed. “The marshes are our life.”
 

Due to copyright restrictions read the full article here:

https://www.ft.com/content/82ca2e3c-6369-11e8-90c2-9563a0613e56

 

This is something to watch as Iraq tries to implement projects for sustainable water.