Water is life. It is an integral part of our existence, providing us with drinking water, food and vital resources. However, what happens when this vital resource system starts to run dry? This is the question we face today as the Euphrates River, one of the most important rivers in the world, faces the threat of extinction.
Historical context
The Euphrates River, which flows through present-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq, has a rich history. Together with the Tigris River, it forms the Tigris-Euphrates river system, which was home to one of the world’s first urban civilizations, Mesopotamia. This region, also known as the Fertile Crescent, provided ideal conditions for the development of settled agriculture and became the cradle of civilization.
The threat of extinction
Today, however, the Euphrates River faces a serious threat of extinction. Chronic droughts and climate change have caused the river to dry up at an astonishing rate. According to Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources, the river could dry up by 2040 due to declining water levels and droughts caused by climate change.
Satellite imagery confirms that the Tigris and Euphrates river basins have lost a huge amount of fresh water over the past decade. Water levels have become among the lowest ever recorded. This has serious implications for the environment and people who depend on water from the Euphrates-Tigris river system.
Environmental crisis and geopolitical tensions
The Euphrates River crisis has a global context. The Middle East is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, which could exacerbate water supply problems. Around 60 million people depend on water from the Euphrates-Tigris river system, mainly in Turkey and Iraq. However, cooperation on managing the Tigris-Euphrates basin has stalled, fanning the flames of both local rivalries and geopolitical tensions.
Potential for water conflicts
We may be facing a series of “water wars” in the future, in which states and militia groups fight over access to the remaining water resources. The Tigris-Euphrates complex is one of the most important regions where this could happen, due to the number of people living in the region as well as the political instability that persists here.
Threat to public health
In addition, the disappearance of the Euphrates River has serious implications for public health. Iraq is already experiencing many public health emergencies due to the lack of clean water. This leads to the spread of waterborne infectious diseases such as cholera, chickenpox, measles and typhoid.
The disappearance of the Euphrates River is an environmental disaster that has serious consequences for the environment and people. It causes a threat to the lives of millions of people who depend on this river for survival. The Euphrates River crisis is a reminder of our vulnerability to climate change and the need to take urgent action to preserve this precious resource.
