ABSTRACT
Agriculture in Iraq’s Euphrates Valley depends almost entirely on water from the Euphrates itself. Iraq began its modern exploitation of the river earlier than Syria and Turkey but is now feeling the effects of increased use by these upstream riparian states, in terms of both the quantity and the quality of water available in Iraq. Inefficiencies of various kinds in the water and agricultural sectors within Iraq have exacerbated this situation, as has the destruction caused by armed conflict. Climate change and population growth will probably also have damaging consequences. This chapter examines the past and future impact of these developments on the health of agriculture in the valley, the measures which Iraq could adopt in mitigation and the constraints which will make it difficult to do so.
