In 2022, Iraq witnessed a second consecutive year of drought and record low levels of rainfall across the country. Drought conditions are exacerbated by the broader impacts of climate change as Iraq remains one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to rising temperatures, decreased rainfall, and related food and health aftereffects.
In addition, water scarcity is compounded by decreased transboundary flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as poor water resource management and treatment systems. These interlinked crises related to water and climate have served as a threat-multiplier for millions of conflict- and displacementaffected people throughout the country. Most recently in the 2022 cropping season, drought conditions and decreased river levels significantly limited access to drinking and irrigation water, depleted harvests and incomes, and heightened barriers to food accessibility. These findings not only remain consistent with analysis from the previous season, but also, notably mark a broader pattern of continued crop and livestock losses in Iraq as a result of water scarcity. Further, ongoing drought conditions—alongside the impact of climate change—could result in longer-term socioeconomic effects on vulnerable communities that rely on agriculture as their sole source of income, particularly related to increased social tensions and climate-induced displacement to urban areas. Water scarcity in Iraq has already displaced thousands from their homes in search of alternative pathways for incomes and employment. With projections of a third consecutive season of below-average rainfall in Iraq, critical investment is needed from Iraq and the international community to adapt to and address both the immediate and longer-term effects of the drought and climate change on farming communities throughout the country.
This study assesses how climate change and water scarcity have impacted displacement, incomes, and crop production across households, as well as the Government of Iraq’s response.