Weakened Infrastructure and Climate Change: The Threat to Water Security in Nineveh

Feb 6, 2024 | Nabaz Mohammed and Dylan O’Driscoll
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The Iraqi agriculture sector employs roughly 20 percent of the country’s workforce. It is the second largest contributor to the gross domestic product after the oil sector, accounting for 5 percent of Iraq’s GDP. Since agricultural activities in the Nineveh Plains rely predominantly on rainfall, the lack of significant investment in ensuring water security leaves its communities exposed to repeated water shortages.

Our research with farmers has demonstrated that creating water security in the Nineveh Plains requires a multifaceted approach that includes increasing groundwater, better-utilizing rainwater, integrating traditional and modern techniques, and adapting farming practices. Proactive measures across the Nineveh Plains are crucial to prevent further depletion of groundwater resources and to ensure sustainable water availability for future generations. In addition to these short-term policies, longer-term strategic measures for enhancing water availability in the region will involve taking advantage of the Tigris River and Mosul Dam by improving and extending the Al-Jazeera Irrigation Project—with a critical focus on sustainable water use.

Despite decreased precipitation, the Nineveh Plains often face flash flooding, so policies must be implemented to minimize water loss.