Baghdad Operations Command removes 13 unauthorized fish ponds in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Baghdad Operations Command said Saturday it had demolished 13 unauthorized fish ponds in the Al-Shakiriya area of Mahmudiya district, south of the capital.

In a statement, the command said: “In order to preserve the water shares allocated for irrigating crops and to reduce waste, and as part of our duties to support government departments, the formations of the 17th Infantry Division, in cooperation with units from the Rudwaniya Water Resources Division, continue their work to monitor unlicensed ponds.”

Unauthorized fish ponds—many unlicensed and drawing from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers or illegal wells—have become a major challenge for Iraq’s water management. Officials say the ponds accelerate water loss through evaporation and divert water away from critical sectors, including agriculture and drinking water supply, especially in southern regions already hit hard by drought.

The command added that during the past 24 hours, its forces “broke and filled the embankments of 13 fish ponds and removed violations from irrigation canals” in the targeted area.

It said the campaign has continued for six consecutive days.

Earlier in July, the Ministry of Water Resources announced that nearly 90% of unauthorized fish ponds in Baghdad’s Radwaniyah area had been dismantled as part of the same initiative.

2025 marks one of Iraq’s most difficult years for water scarcity, driven by prolonged drought and reduced inflows from upstream countries, particularly Turkey, according to Minister of Water Resources Aoun Dhiab.

Minister Dhiab stated that Turkey uses a system of dams along the Euphrates to generate hydroelectric power and transfer water between reservoirs before releasing it downstream, a process that has cut Iraq’s share by half, worsening the country’s water crisis.  Dhiab added Iraq is continuing technical negotiations with Ankara to establish a clear framework for sharing responsibility during regional water shortages.

Iraq is among the five countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the United Nations.