“In Chamchamal district and Takia and Shorsh subdistricts, which have a combined population of nearly 200,000 people, fresh drinking water has not been provided for 12 days, which has caused fears of an incoming humanitarian crisis,” Ramk Ramadhan, Chamchamal mayor, told Rudaw’s Soran Hussein.
A budget of 70 million dollars has been allocated to the Goptapa-Chamchamal water project, which would greatly address the area’s water issues, but the process has yet to be implemented years later, according to the mayor.
Chamchamal, Takia, and Shorsh require around 60,000 cubic meters of water on a daily basis to meet the residents’ needs, but currently share 30,000 cubic meters per day with Bazyan district.
Ramadhan noted that they have sent around 100 letters to relevant authorities regarding this issue since 2017, but their calls have fallen on deaf ears.
“Not providing water for 12 days and keeping that water in tanks in 45-degree weather leads to tens of diseases,” said the mayor, calling on relevant authorities to expedite the implementation of the Goptapa-Chamchamal water project.
Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable to climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. It is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste mismanagement.
Scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius were recorded in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in 2023, coupled with water scarcity, desertification, and reduced rainfall.
The World Resources Institute places Iraq among 25 countries that face extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought.
