Residents in Basra fill plastic containers with water delivered by tanker trucks as saltwater intrusion worsens the crisis in northern areas of the governorate. Photo by 964media.
Basra council approves temporary dam on Shatt al-Arab to fight worsening salinity crisis
BASRA — The Basra Provincial Council on Tuesday approved a project to build a temporary dam on the Shatt al-Arab near Sinbad Island to stem saltwater intrusion, after residents warned the crisis has become a health and environmental disaster.
Ali Saleh, a resident of al-Mustafa subdistrict, said the problem has persisted since July. “The water is not fit for drinking and has caused rashes on our children’s bodies. The subdistrict director sent us water tankers, but it is never enough. Five hundred liters for a family — what does that do? We call on the governor and higher authorities to find an immediate solution,” he told 964media.
In al-Hartha district, resident Sajad al-Basri said, “Our areas float on a lake of oil but suffer from thirst. Demonstrations broke out in al-Dair a few days ago because the water is salty and bitter, not drinkable. The sheikhs went to the officials and came back with promises that are like a numbing injection.”
Hussein Abu Tabikh, head of the Marshes Association in Basra, said about 30,000 marsh residents are enduring unsafe water with only five tankers delivered. “The situation warns of mass migration and the complete destruction of the ecosystem after we saw the spread of epidemics and skin diseases due to the lack of clean water from the source,” he said. “The fish, agricultural, and livestock wealth has been destroyed. We demand the formation of a crisis cell to save what can be saved.”
Shukr Mahmoud al-Amiri, head of the council’s financial and administrative committee, said the temporary dam is “a strategic step to protect water security in Basra.” He added, “The council attaches the utmost importance to the water issue because it is directly linked to the lives and stability of citizens. The project is a temporary measure while awaiting long-term and permanent solutions.”
The Ministry of Water Resources said in July that two consultancy firms — one Italian and the other Jordanian — are studying the feasibility of a permanent barrier dam on the Shatt al-Arab, based on a strategic study completed in 2016. The ministry said if 50 cubic meters of water cannot be secured regularly, the dam would be among the proposed solutions.