20 passionate youth activists from cities along the Euphrates River have established a network of Humat Al-Forat, “Euphrates Protectors”, a new offshoot of Humat Dijlah (Tigris Protectors) Organisation. From 2-3 November in Nasiriyah these activists from Basra, Hilla, Najaf, Nasiriyah and Anbar gathered together with youth from Amara, Diyala to announce the formation of their...
Human security requires environmental security Joint statement on the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, November 6 2018 Original statement here Today, our group of concerned civil society organisations, which includes academics, experts and scientists, are calling for the international community to enhance the protection of people...
The New Arab, 3 November 2018 Iraqi fish farmers south of Baghdad have been left reeling after finding thousands of dead carp mysteriously floating in their cages or washed up on the banks of the Euphrates. Piles of the dead silvery fish, along with a few car tyres and plastic bags, could be seen on...
In March 2018 a North-South exchange between Iraqi and Kurdish water activists took place in Southern Iraq with a Kurdish delegation touring the Marshlands. This fostered new collaboration between environmental groups in Kurdistan Region and in the Center/South of Iraq. In September, this visit was reciprocated with a visit to Sulaymaniyah Governorate by activists from...
World Cleanup Day, 15 September, saw the launch of a new campaign by volunteers of the Peace Forum in Ramadi. They plan to defend Euphrates River against pollution, and they have joined up with the Ramadi Police Directorate, Ramadi Municipality and Anbar Environment Directorate, all of whom have shown spectacular support for the campaign thus...
The Alyahodia River is a large branch of the Euphrates after the city of Al-Hindiya, also known as the Babylon Channel. In the past, its banks housed an intersection of cultures and religions which formed a thriving and integrated community. The original name of the river, Judaism River, dates back to 550 BC when Jewish...
Save the Tigris Campaign and partners announce the first alternative civil society forum for water in Mesopotamia: the Mesopotamian Water Forum will be held in Spring 2019 in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and will involve civil society actors from the states of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria. It will be an open space to give...
By Kawa Hassan and Camilla Born Middle East and North Africa Program & Working Group on Climate-Related Security Risks The following report was used in a July 2018 UN Security Council debate on the nexus between climate change and security, brought forward under the Swedish Presidency of the Council. Iraq is exposed to three major...
Mustafa Saadoun, Al Monitor, August 31 2018 BASRA, Iraq — Human rights advocates and health officials estimate that 17,000 to 18,000 residents of Basra province have been poisoned by heavily polluted and salty drinking water. On Aug. 26, hundreds of residents stormed the Basra Health Directorate to protest the poor health services provided to those made ill, but relief is...
Asharq Al-Awsat It seems that geographic realities linking Iraq to Iran have caused inescapable problems that are compounding their turbulent political relations. Issues between Baghdad and Tehran go beyond problems of borders and oil field demarcation, extending to water supplies. Iraq accuses Iran of cutting river water flowing from its territory and thus affecting Iraqi...
