Consequences of the Droughts in the Euphrates - Tigris Basin

Year 2020, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 29 - 40, 15.06.2020

Hamza Ozguler Dursun Yıldız

Abstract

In Euphrates Tigris Basin (ETB), droughts are a regular feature in the region and have significant social, environmental, and economic impacts, particularly in places where there are already pressures on existing water resources. Drought has a negative impact on health, the agricultural production, and the economic condition of most people who live in ETB; and food scarcity makes migration from these dry areas and expected to increase further in the future.

Droughts are a regular feature in the region and they have significant social, environmental, and economic impacts where rainfed farming is important. Therefore there is an urgent need to build resilience and adaptive capacity of riparian states focusing on innovative regional-based drought and agricultural investment strategies.

In this paper, the economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects of drought in the Euphrates and Tigris basin is evaluated.An integrated or nexus approach to resources management and cooperation appears to be the evident way forward. The nexus approach identifies water, energy, and food as the central sectors and advocates for better physical as well as policy and governance integration.

Keywords

Drought, Euphrates and Tigris Basin, Nexus approach

References

• Ansari A.N., Adamo N., Knutsson S., Laue J. (2018) Geopolitics of the Tigris and Euphrates Basins. Journal of Earth Sciences and Geotechnical Engineering, vol . 8, no. 3, 2018, 187-222 ISSN: 1792-9040 (print version), 1792-9660 (online) Scienpress Ltd, 2018
• Al-Ansari, N.A., Abdellatif, M., Ezeelden, M.,Ali, S. and Knutsson, S.,(2014), Climate Change and Future Long Term Trends of Rainfall at North-eastern Part of Iraq J. Civil Engineering and Architecture, V.8, 66,790-805.
• Bazza M., Kay, M. Knutson C.(2018) “Drought characteristics and management in North Africa and the Near East” FAO. Report 45
• Bozkurt, D., and Sen .L.O, (2013) Climate change impacts in the Euphrates–Tigris basin based on a different model and scenario simulations. J. Hydrol., 480, 149–161, DOI:10.1016/ j.jhydrol.2012.12.021.
• Cullen, H.M. anddeMenocal, P.B. (2000) North Atlanticinfluence on Tigris‐Euphratesstreamflow. International Journal of Climatology, Vol 55, No 3, pp. 853‐863.
• Ekanayake M.E andLedgerwoodR.J.(2009) An Analysis Of TheIntra-RegionalTradeInTheMiddle East And North AfrıcaRegionThe International Journal of Business and Finance ResearchVol. 3 No. 1. 2009Electronic copyavailable at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1555226
• FAO. 2018. TheState of AgriculturalCommodityMarkets 2018. Agriculturaltrade, climatechange, andfoodsecurity. Part 2 TheLinkagesBetweenAgriculturalTrade, Food Security, andClimateChange Rome. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
• Farajalla N. andJägerskog A.(2017) Enhancingregionalcooperation in theMiddle East and North AfricathroughtheWater-Energy-Food Security Nexus.Technical Report • May 2017.Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317036677
• Global Information and Early Warning System, GIEWS. (2014). Drought conditions affect wheat production in 2014. GIEWS Country Briefs. The Islamic Republic of Iran. (available at http://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=IRN).
• Gleickh. P.2014 Water, Drought, Climate Change, and Conflict in SyriaAmerican Meteorological Society
• Hameed, M.; Ahmadalipour, A.; Moradkhani, H., ( 2018), Apprehensive Drought Characteristics over Iraq: Results of a Multidecadal Spatiotemporal Assessment, J. Geosciences, 8,58,1-16.
• International Energy Agency (IEA). (2012) World Energy Outlook Special Report 2012 - Iraq Energy Outlook. (available online at http://www.worldenergyoutlook. org/media/weowebsite/2012/iraqenergyoutlook/Fullreportpdf accessed 1 July 2013. Central Statistical Organization – data available online at http://cosit.gov.iq/ English).
• IPCC, 2007: ClimateChange (2007): Synthesisreport. An assessment of theIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. Kitoh, A., Yatagi, A. andAlpert, P. 2008: First super‐high‐resolution model projectionthattheancient “FertileCrescent” willdisappear in thiscentury. HydrologicalResearchLetters, 2, pp. 1‐4.
• Khorasanizadeh, S. (2012). Water scarcity in Iran. Presented at International Conference on Climate, Water and Policy, ICCWP. Busan, Republic of Korea 11-13 Sep 2012. (available at URL: http://www.apcc21.org/
• Keshavarz, M., Karami, E. &Vanclay, F. (2013). The social experience of drought in rural Iran. Land Use Policy 30:120–129.
• Onol B.,Semazzi F. (2009) Regionalization of Climate Change Simulations over the Eastern MediterraneanArticle in Journal of Climate • April 2009
• Raphaeli, N.(2009). Water Crisis in Iraq: The Growing Danger of Desertification, Investors Iraq, 23 July, no. 537.
• Siadat, H. & Shariati, M.R. (2001). Drought in Iran: a country report. Paper presented at the Expert´s Consultation and Workshop on Drought Mitigation for the Near East and the Mediterranean. 27-31 May. 2001. ICARDA, Aleppo. Syria. pp:5
• SYGM (2016) İklimDeğişikliğininSuKaynaklarinaEtkisiProjesi ProjeNihaiRaporu
• SYGM (2020) İklimDeğişikliğiveUyumRaporu
• USDA. (2010) Syria: Wheat Production Outlook Improved in 2009/10. USDA FAS, Office of Global Analysis Report, usda.gov/wap/circular/2010/10-07/ productionfull07-10
• UN- ESCWA, and BGR (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; BundesanstaltfürGeowissenschaften und Rohstoffe). (2013). Inventory of Shared Water Resources in Western Asia. Beirut.
• UNESCO (2014). Integrated drought risk management, DRM: a national framework for Iraq, an analysis report. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000228343
• United Nations. (2009). Syria Drought Response Plan SDRP 2009-2010. Syria Drought Humanitarian Response Plan Government of Syria and the United Nations (available at http://www.reliefweb.int/fts).
• UNEP. (2010). Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies ESTs and Management Practices: Iraqi Marshlands Project.
• UN-ESCWA (Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia). 2005. ESCWA Water Development Report 1: Vulnerability of the Region to Socio-Economic Drought. New York, United Nations.
• UNESCO. (2014) An Analysis Report. National Framework for Iraq SC/2014/ Report/H/1. Integrated Drought Risk Management – DRM 2nd edition.
• UNDP. (2013) Preparation of Drought Vulnerability Assessment Study to Develop Iraq National framework for integrated drought risk management (DRM). Vulnerability Assessment Report. Prepared by Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development (ELARD).
• UNDP. (2008). Study on the impact of subsidization of agricultural production on development, poverty, and social impact analysis. UNDP Country Study, UNDP Syria Country Office, Damascus, 2008, p. 71.
• Voss, K.A., Famiglietti, J.S., Lo, M., Linage, C., Rodell, M., Swenson, S.C. (2013). Groundwater depletion in the Middle East from GRACE with implications for transboundary water management in the Tigris-Euphrates-Western Iran region. Water Resources Research, 492: 904-914
• Yıldız, D , Yıldız, D , Güneş, M . (2019). Analysis of long-term natural streamflow trends in Upper Euphrates River Basin. AvrupaBilimveTeknolojiDergisi , (15) , 118-131 . DOI: 10.31590/ejosat.500548