Water resources expert Tahseen Al-Moussawi has criticized the Iraqi Cabinet’s decision to activate the Iraq-Turkey water framework agreement and move forward with funding its related projects, arguing that the step will achieve little unless Turkey agrees to a legally binding deal that clearly guarantees Iraq’s share of water.
Al-Moussawi said any agreement that does not specifically state how much water Iraq is entitled to receive would harm Iraq and mainly benefit Turkey. According to him, simply activating the project financing mechanism from September 1 will not solve the country’s worsening drought problem unless Turkey is required to follow international water laws.
He stressed that the Iraqi government should use all available political and economic pressure before signing any new trade deals or strategic projects with Turkey. In his view, Baghdad should first secure a formal and documented commitment that protects Iraq’s water rights under United Nations agreements governing countries that share rivers and water resources.
His comments came after the Cabinet approved the activation of the Iraqi-Turkish water framework agreement during its regular session on Saturday and decided to begin implementing the financing mechanism for projects linked to the agreement starting September 1.
Al-Moussawi believes that without clear guarantees on water allocations, the agreement is unlikely to provide a real solution to Iraq’s ongoing water shortage crisis.Water resources expert Tahseen Al-Moussawi has criticized the Iraqi Cabinet’s decision to activate the Iraq-Turkey water framework agreement and move forward with funding its related projects, arguing that the step will achieve little unless Turkey agrees to a legally binding deal that clearly guarantees Iraq’s share of water.
Al-Moussawi said any agreement that does not specifically state how much water Iraq is entitled to receive would harm Iraq and mainly benefit Turkey. According to him, simply activating the project financing mechanism from September 1 will not solve the country’s worsening drought problem unless Turkey is required to follow international water laws.
He stressed that the Iraqi government should use all available political and economic pressure before signing any new trade deals or strategic projects with Turkey. In his view, Baghdad should first secure a formal and documented commitment that protects Iraq’s water rights under United Nations agreements governing countries that share rivers and water resources.
His comments came after the Cabinet approved the activation of the Iraqi-Turkish water framework agreement during its regular session on Saturday and decided to begin implementing the financing mechanism for projects linked to the agreement starting September 1.
Al-Moussawi believes that without clear guarantees on water allocations, the agreement is unlikely to provide a real solution to Iraq’s ongoing water shortage crisis.
