Calay News
Mustafa Ahmed, along with his father, Ahmed Abdul Hussein, struggle to keep their family’s cattle in Iraq’s southern province of Najaf, a tradition that has been passed down through the generations. However, the lack of water now threatens his livelihood. Iraq is part of the “Fertile Crescent,” a land that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and has been cultivated for thousands of years. However, the landscape has been devastated due to upstream damming of Iraq’s two main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, lower rainfall trends, and decades of conflict.
Acute water shortages in the Al-Mishkhab district, where Ahmed and his family live, are forcing his father to sell the animals one by one, which is heartbreaking for the 13-year-old. Last year they had 20 animals, but now they only have nine left. Six other heirs in Najaf province have had to sell animals or have lost livestock in recent months due to the water crisis.
The situation is even worse in the swamps of southern Iraq, which were already in a fragile state and are now experiencing the most intense heat wave in 40 years. Nearly 70% of swamps lack water, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The increased salinity of the water due to declining water levels is affecting the health of animals and weakening their immune systems.
In addition to water shortages, drastic declines in agricultural production and rising fodder prices have left farmers struggling to feed water buffalo. Cultivated land in Iraq has been significantly reduced, and in Najaf province, only 5% of the land that was cultivated in 2020 is used due to a lack of water. The heirs, like Abdul Hussein, used to farm patches of land or get cheap fodder from rice farmers.
The water crisis has caused the displacement of thousands of people from the countryside to cities with high unemployment rates and poor services. To avoid a hunger crisis, Iraq needs adaptation strategies that address the loss of livelihoods. Children are also affected, with around 7% of those aged 5 to 17 working as child laborers in the country. Uncertainty about the future of the traditional way of life and economic difficulties pose a significant challenge for affected communities.
