Iraq Joins UN Water Convention

Iraq has become the first country in the Middle East to join the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention), which aims to promote cooperation across borders for the sustainable use of transboundary water resources.

19 of the 22 Arab countries are considered water scarce, and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Basins are essential sources of surface water for some 237 million people across Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

Iraq is facing mounting social, economic, and political pressures due to water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, low rainfall, and decreasing surface water.

The convention requires parties to cooperate by concluding specific agreements and establishing joint bodies to ensure sustainable management of shared water resources.