Iraq pushes for equitable water sharing through international support

BAGHDAD, November 22 — Advisor to the Iraq’s Prime Minister for Climate Affairs Ali Al-Lami stated on Wednesday that the United Nations General Assembly will address compelling upstream countries to fairly share water resources with downstream nations.

Al-Lami, in a statement to the official Al-Sabah:

One of the recommendations emphasized in Prime Minister Mohamed Shiaa’ Al-Sudani’s speech during the climate conference in Basra last month underscores the need for official government delegations to raise the issue of fair water sharing at international meetings. This is because Iraq faces significant challenges in securing its fair share of water from upstream countries.

While Iraq had been hesitant to address this issue in the past, it is currently raising it at the highest levels. Prime Minister Al-Sudani reiterated the call in his speech at the global Conference on Financing for Development held in New York a few weeks ago, addressing the water issue explicitly, as did all official delegations.

Iraq is unreservedly asserting its claim to its water share from neighboring countries. The country insists that for a fair commitment to climate change, there must be international decisions that compel upstream nations to share water fairly with downstream countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the United Nations General Assembly is in the process of adding an agenda item to force upstream countries to engage in fair water sharing with downstream nations in its meetings and conferences.