ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) to provide support for the country in addressing its water scarcity issues, the Iraqi Official Gazette reported on Monday, citing Minister Aoun Diab Abdullah of Water Resources.

The MoU, which Diab explained is “more scientific and advisory than diplomatic,” is worth 10 million euros and is part of a larger project that also includes a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) about managing resources in the Shatt al-Hillah Basin, which covers Babil, Diwaniyah, and Muthanna provinces, as well as using technologies in project management.

Diab noted that in addition to their memoranda with GIZ, there are multiple “other international agreements for project implementation that will be signed later,” such as documented cooperation between Iraq and Kazakhstan to the same end of addressing water scarcity. The MoC signed with Astana emphasizes “support for projects and infrastructure and the use of modern technologies in water systems and projects."

The GIZ website notes that the organization's activities in Iraq are "implemented primarily on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union." The sustainable development specialists opened an office in Baghdad in 2018.

Water scarcity has been a long-standing and critical issue for Iraq, exacerbated by upstream dams constructed by Turkey along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These dams have significantly reduced water flow into Iraq, intensifying the country’s existing water shortages.

Diab revealed earlier in May that Iraq and Turkey have agreed to release 500 cubic meters of water per second from the Euphrates River each day to alleviate some of the toll that the upstream dams take on Baghdad.

These shortages of water, however, extend beyond Iraq, with regional neighbors also suffering, the minister argued. “Syria is also experiencing poor water conditions, according to reports sent by the Syrian Water Resources Authority,” said Diab.