MOWR reduces water releases to marshes by 50 percent

BAGHDAD-INA

Ministry of Water Resources confirmed Friday that water releases from the marshes have been reduced by 50 percent, while noting that evaporation in the marsh areas is very high and cannot be compensated for by the water storage.

 The Director-General of the National Center for Water Resources Management, one of the ministry's formations, Hatem Hamid, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "there is no shortage of water releases towards Dhi Qar Governorate," noting that "there is a scarcity of water revenues, rationing of releases, and distribution of damage to all water uses, including the marshes, according to the plan.

 Hamid added that "evaporation in the marshes area is very high, and there is a reduced decrease in the levels and areas of flooding in the marsh areas as a result of instantaneous evaporation in the summer, and there is a gradual decrease as a result of this evaporation and its very large amount, which cannot be compensated from the available water storage."

 He pointed out that "water releases have been reduced to all sectors of agriculture by 50%, as well as to marshes, where releases have been reduced by the same rates to maintain the longest possible period."

 He explained that "the high temperature causes a rise in evaporation in the submerged areas in the marshes, so the submersion areas decrease because the quantities that are released are less than the amount of evaporation present."