Iraq’s worst drought in decades leaves orchards barren and livelihoods ruined

Iraq is grappling with a severe water crisis, exacerbated by prolonged drought and upstream dam restrictions in neighbouring countries. Once-fertile orchards have been reduced to barren landscapes, with farmers abandoning their land and livelihoods. The Mosul Reservoir, Iraq's largest water body, has seen its storage capacity plummet from 8 billion to just 3 billion cubic metres in recent years. Experts point to climate change, reduced rainfall, and Turkey's upstream dam projects as key factors in the dwindling water supply. With agricultural methods consuming over 70% of Iraq's water resources, the country faces urgent challenges in water management and regional cooperation to prevent further environmental degradation and food insecurity. Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdelwahed reports from Baghdad, Iraq. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Iraq #IraqDrought #GlobalWarming #IraqFarming #IraqFarmers #ClimateChange