Seeking to enhance the role of the press as well as academic research in responding to the problems brought about by climate change in Iraq, both the Planetary Security Initiative and Free Press Unlimited have included Iraqi journalists and academics in the efforts to face up to the consequences of climate change on social security and stability in the country, in particular in the south. Journalists and academics have been supported in writing articles and stories about environmental challenges such as drought, pollution, sea-level rise, and saltwater intrusion in the south of Iraq. This initiative supports solution-based stories that cover responses to the consequences of environmental change in the local communities, local governments’ institutions, and academic circles.
The articles published on Iraqi and Arabic media platforms raised considerable interest from the Iraqi institutions and bodies concerned with the environment. An article on the dialogue as a solution to save fish resources from saltwater intrusion in southern Iraq by journalist Hussein Abd Wadi, was published in Arabic on Daraj. It is one of those articles which have received the attention of the Southern Region Environment Directorate in Iraq. The author asked its head, Walid Hamed Al-Musawi, a few questions on his directorate’s response to environmental challenges as expressed in solutions-based press stories.
Q: How did you come across the article on Basra’s environment and the salt tongue?
A: We have come across this article through social media websites where it was shared. The Southern Region Environment Directorate has a department tasked with monitoring relevant press items as well as breaches against the environment. The article not only tackled the issue of the seawater intrusion but also the consequences on society and the overall environment in Basra in an objective manner.
Q: Has the Southern Region Environment Directorate taken any particular measures?
A: The Directorate referred the article to the Scientific Committee in the Southern Region Environment Department. The Scientific Committee will study the article, issue recommendations, and address the executive authorities to see if these are the appropriate ministries to deal with the issue. It is notable here that the impact of saltwater intrusion on the environment in the southern region in 2018 resulted in an increase in Basra’s federal budget allocations.
Q: Is this sufficient? What is needed to reach the desired change in Basra’s water and environmental challenges?
A: The volume of pollutants and environmental activities is huge and accumulated. It is not the result of one year. We, therefore, need relentless efforts to treat the pollutants in Shatt Al-Arab and in the seven rivers in Basra city. On top of this comes air pollution due to oil extractions by companies that do not strictly adhere to environmental standards. There are also radiation issues, which we hope will be fully dealt with by the relevant parties. The environment needs special attention and an exceptional budget to deal with those pending issues in the southern region, in particular in Basra.
Q: What are the proposed approaches to overcome the environmental problems in Shatt Al-Arab water?
A: The pollutants in Shatt Al-Arab water are caused by a number of things, most importantly the polluting activities in the river bodies of Tigris and Euphrates, which meet in the water of Shatt Al-Arab. Starting from when the two rivers enter [the country] and until reaching Basra Governorate, gravity concentrates their pollutants in Shatt Al-Arab. If we want Shatt Al-Arab to be up to environmental and health standards and specifications, all polluting activities must stop in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. There were several talks about building a dam on Shatt Al-Arab River in a specific location in order to preserve its freshwater. However, given that there are all kinds of pollutants in the river bodies of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, as well as the estuaries of the other seven rivers in Basra, which have themselves become a dump for waste and sewage water, any dam built on Shatt Al-Arab could become a swamp for pollutants and plagues. This is why we do not see this proposal as a suitable solution to the ‘sea salt tongue’ intrusion problem.
Q: There is information that indicates some hospitals in Basra Governorate dump their waste in Shatt Al-Arab…
A: Yes, we are sorry to find that some hospitals in Basra dump their waste in inland rivers, which consequently feed into Shatt Al-Arab water. This is yet another threat to our water resources and public health, to be added to the other pollutants. Basra also suffers from other problems like shortage of green spaces, which has negatively affected the region’s environment. There is a number of proposals and initiatives which will be presented to the southern governorates in this regard, like for example natural reserves.
Read the original article on saltwater intrusion here.