Iraq drought claims lakeside resort

Iraqi merchant Mohamed is experiencing a dismal tourist season due to years of drought that have drastically reduced the size of Lake Habbaniyah. The lack of water has deterred the once-thriving summer holidaymakers.

“The last two years, there was some activity, but now there’s no more water,” said 35-year-old Mohamed, referring to the decline in customers visiting his lakeside shop.

Despite his efforts to attract customers with water floats, nets, and shirts, Mohamed anticipates little to no business. The scorching temperatures of nearly 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) amplify the inhospitable conditions.

The shorelines of Habbaniyah, located 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of Baghdad, have significantly receded due to four consecutive years of drought.

Iraq, classified as water-stressed by the United Nations, is one of the five countries most affected by climate change.

Jamal Odeh Samir, the director of water resources in Anbar province where Habbaniyah is situated, stated that when at full capacity, the lake can hold up to 3.3 billion cubic meters of water. However, it currently contains no more than 500 million cubic meters.

Due to the declining water levels, lakeside shops and holiday homes at Habbaniyah remain vacant during the peak summer season. Stray dogs roam the beach among unused umbrellas.

Visitors now have to navigate through foul-smelling mud, which was previously covered by the lake, to access the water.

‘Only place to relax’

The Habbaniyah resort, established around the artificial lake in 1979, gained popularity as a tourist destination for people from around the Middle East in the following years.

Habbaniyah, along with other parts of Iraq, has been severely affected by declining rainfall over the past four years and rising temperatures.

The Iraqi government blames the construction of upstream dams by Turkey for the alarming decrease in water levels in the Euphrates river, which supplies water to the lake and flows through Syria as well.

Khaled Shamal, spokesman for the water resources ministry, has warned that Iraq’s strategic water reserves are at their lowest point in nearly a century.

During a recent visit to Baghdad, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that “rising temperatures, drought, and loss of diversity serve as a wake-up call for Iraq and the world”.

Sada’a Saleh Mohamed, a local official responsible for finances at the Habbaniyah resort, laments the shrinking lake and the significant decline in tourism.

According to him, the lake has turned into a stagnant pond unsuitable for swimming or consumption. In the evenings, when temperatures cool down slightly, a few people arrive to barbecue on the beach.

Qassem Lafta, a 45-year-old merchant who came with his family from Fallujah, reminisces about the past when the water levels were higher and hopes that the authorities will take action to revive the lake.

Lafta emphasizes that Habbaniyah is the only place where people from Anbar, southern Iraq, and Baghdad can go to relax.

© 2023 AFP