International Edition

International Edition

Podcasts Newsletters Follow us Alerts App Video

Arab Showcase Weekend

Road to Net Zero

Music & On-stage

Fashion & Beauty

Road to Net Zero

Music & On-stage

Fashion & Beauty

'This is not adaptation to climate change. It's a kind of morphine,' he said

A view shows wheat that has dried before the start of the harvesting season in a field on the outskirts of Karbala, Iraq May 15, 2023. REUTERS / Thaier Al-Sudani

Watered by sprinklers fitted to 100-metre-deep wells, Amin Salah produces double what he did near the river

'It's golden season,' said Mr Salah: less money spent and water used, and a bigger and better quality harvest

Iraq's government says the move has more than doubled wheat-cultivated areas to 850,000 hectares

That has translated into a harvest of about four million tonnes of wheat – 80% of Iraq's needs

The change in methods is driven by necessity: Iraq's two main rivers have lost more than half of their flow

Drilling the desert for water may provide immediate relief but heavy use of the wells could bleed desert aquifers dry

Some farmers have already noticed a drop in the water table

Hadi Fathallah of consultancy Namea Group described using wells as 'very desperate'

Iraq should focus on modernising agriculture and water diplomacy, Mr Fathallah said

'This is not adaptation to climate change. It's a kind of morphine,' he said

A view shows wheat that has dried before the start of the harvesting season in a field on the outskirts of Karbala, Iraq May 15, 2023. REUTERS / Thaier Al-Sudani

Watered by sprinklers fitted to 100-metre-deep wells, Amin Salah produces double what he did near the river

'It's golden season,' said Mr Salah: less money spent and water used, and a bigger and better quality harvest

Iraq's government says the move has more than doubled wheat-cultivated areas to 850,000 hectares

That has translated into a harvest of about four million tonnes of wheat – 80% of Iraq's needs

The change in methods is driven by necessity: Iraq's two main rivers have lost more than half of their flow

Drilling the desert for water may provide immediate relief but heavy use of the wells could bleed desert aquifers dry

Some farmers have already noticed a drop in the water table

Hadi Fathallah of consultancy Namea Group described using wells as 'very desperate'

Iraq should focus on modernising agriculture and water diplomacy, Mr Fathallah said

'This is not adaptation to climate change. It's a kind of morphine,' he said

Iraqi farmers turn to desert wells for wheat harvest as rivers run dry - in pictures

Debate on whether method is sustainable continues as aquifers show signs of depletion

The National

May 30, 2023

Listen In English
Listen In Arabic

Copy link
Share on X
Share on Facebook
Share on LinkedIn
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Email
Print
Other

More from The National:

Iraq will only be able to meet 15% of its water needs by 2035, UN official warns

Postcard from Iraq: From fast food to sweet treats, Baghdad tucks into American chains

Cop28 is an ideal opportunity to help Iraq, Syria and Yemen access climate funds

From drought to deluge: Iraq’s farmers and tourists reap benefits of heavy rains

Changing environment affects Iraq's honey production – in pictures

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Updated: May 30, 2023, 9:56 AM