INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
2023-02-26T14:23:58.000000Z Share fontEnable Reading ModeA-AA+Shafaq News / Iraq's President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid highlighted the urgent
need for executive and legislative measures to safeguard water security, and emphasized the significance of embracing modern irrigation
methods.The Presidency of the Republic released a statement confirming that the President chaired an extensive meeting on the water crisis
in Iraq on Sunday, which was attended by several notable figures including the Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, the new
ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq, Johannes Lindert Sande, a representative of the World Bank, and the director of the
World Bank office in Baghdad, Muhammad Al-Ani.The discussion revolved around addressing water scarcity and the employment of modern
techniques and tools in irrigation to support efforts aimed at boosting Iraq's water supply.During the meeting, Rashid underscored the
importance of the upcoming New York Water Conference and urged the need to raise Iraq's water profile, emphasizing the problems that water
scarcity and climate change create.He also emphasized the need for practical measures to reach agreements with neighboring countries to
ensure fair water distribution.The statement further reinforced the importance of finding effective executive procedures and binding
legislation to safeguard water and agricultural security in the country.The attendees also highlighted the importance of community awareness
to rationalize water consumption, eradicate wastage, and end violations on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their branches
Rashid called for the adoption of modern irrigation methods to upgrade agriculture in the country and to provide sufficient water supply for
the marsh areas to conserve water resources and guarantee their availability for future generations.The attendees agreed on the significance
of the President's participation in the forthcoming Water Conference for Sustainable Development in New York
Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab Abdullah stated that Iraq has agreed to exchange information with Iran and to establish measurement
stations on border rivers
With Iraq being among the countries most affected by climate change, drought, and desertification, preserving water resources and improving
water security is essential, and requires the cooperation of all governmental and non-governmental institutions to ensure a sustainable
future for Iraq's water supply.
