Baghdad forces demolish unlicensed fish ponds in water-saving campaign

BAGHDAD — Security forces in coordination with the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources demolished several unlicensed fish ponds on the outskirts of Baghdad, the Operations Command said Saturday.

In a statement, the command said the campaign also removed encroachments along irrigation riverbanks in multiple areas. The measures aim “to reduce water waste and ensure that irrigation shares reach farmland,” it said.

Unauthorized fish ponds, many dug without licenses and drawing water directly from the Tigris, Euphrates or illegal wells, have become a major challenge for Iraq’s water management. Officials say they accelerate evaporation losses and divert supplies from agriculture and drinking water, especially in southern governorates already struggling with drought.

Baghdad Operations Command said in August it had demolished 13 ponds in the al-Shakiriya area of Mahmudiya district, while in July the Ministry of Water Resources announced that nearly 90% of unauthorized ponds in Radwaniyah had been dismantled.

This year has been among Iraq’s hardest for water scarcity, driven by prolonged drought and reduced flows from upstream countries, particularly Turkey, according to Water Resources Minister Aoun Dhiab.