Iraq trades oil for water as rivers dry up amid historic drought
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An image of Mar Oraha hangs as Christians attend the re-opening ceremony of the Mar Oraha Chaldean Monastery (Saint Abraham Monastery) following it's destruction by the Islamic State group (IS), in the Tal Keif district, close to the town of Batnaya, some 30 kilometers north of the Iraqi city of Mosul on December 18, 2025. The northern city of Mosul and surrounding region was under the control of Islamic State group (IS) between 2014-2017, with Mosul being considered as the de facto capital of IS's self-declared "caliphate". Minority religious groups Christian and others were persecuted.
Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP
Iraq is facing its most severe water crisis in decades as the once-mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers continue to shrink, threatening livelihoods, food security, and the country’s historical identity as the “land between two rivers,” according to a report by CNN.
The decline in water levels is being driven by a combination of prolonged drought, climate change, aging infrastructure, and the impact of upstream dams built in Turkey, Iran, and Syria. Together, these pressures have pushed Iraq, home to more than 46 million people, into a situation where water scarcity has become a national emergency.
Approximately 60 percent of Iraq’s water supply originates outside its borders, primarily from Turkey, yet current inflows are significantly lower than in previous years, said environmental expert Mukhtar Khamis, head of the Iraqi Green Climate Organization.
As water shortages worsen, Iraq has entered a controversial cooperation agreement with Turkey that effectively trades oil revenues for water infrastructure. Under the deal, Iraqi oil exports will finance Turkish-built projects aimed at improving water efficiency, storage, and land reclamation.
“For the first time, there is a clear and binding mechanism for water sustainability in the Tigris and Euphrates,” water affairs adviser Torhan al-Mufti told CNN, adding that the agreement commits both sides to maintaining continuous water flow based on Iraq’s needs.
Turkish officials framed the deal as a step toward regional stability. “We in Turkey are keen to support Iraq’s security, development, and safety, and our support is absolute for this,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during the signing ceremony in Baghdad.
However, the agreement has sparked concern among Iraqi politicians and water experts, who warn that tying water security to oil revenues could undermine national sovereignty. Water policy expert Shurook Alabayachi argued that water is a human right and should not be treated as a commodity, while other analysts cautioned that Iraq could become overly dependent on Turkey in the long term.
Beyond diplomacy, the crisis has deeply affected ordinary Iraqis. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 168,000 people have already been displaced by drought and environmental pressures. Farmers have abandoned fields that sustained families for generations, forced into new jobs as water becomes increasingly scarce.
“Irrigation became impossible,” former farmer Hussam Anizan told CNN. “I needed to provide for my children.”
While some remain skeptical, others see the oil-for-water deal as a fragile source of hope. “Let’s see how this deal goes,” Anizan said. “Maybe we’ll be able to see the sun of hope again.”
