What conflicts are generated by the demand for water in rural areas?

        There were 60,000 people who lost their homes in the flooding of the area for the reservoir and the government provided no compensation for anyone. The villages and fields that were flooded made villagers landless labourers with large families to provide for so the living conditions became difficult and modernisation was happening. Living conditions and working conditions are worsening because of the conflict between countries rights and beliefs on the water supply from the river Euphrates. In 1991/92, the water supply was scarce in the north because the springs had dried up because of the exploitation in water usage.

The dam that was holding back the water is the cause of the rapid decrease of groundwater in the area so people in the same area have to dig deeper than others. The canal is polluted since there are soil particles in the water because of erosion such as corrasion and attrition. Doctors think this unclean water is the reason for increased cholera cases. The canal is part of the river Euphrates and this is the only drainage system for the farming community and so this is disastrous for the crops that are being harvested each year.

There are people who work on cotton plant fields who paid a lot of money to work the land and the salinisation process is ruining the plants and the land they reap their seeds on so the workers have nothing to provide their families with or sell to commerce. The land is dry so the soil is easily eroded by the wind and overgrazing is occurring a lot of the time because there is no water or nutrients in the soil to clump the soil together.

There are also 30,000 people who depend on a dried up river and have no land that is able to be cultivated whilst Turkey is using plenty of water and have loads of land that is being cultivated. The stability of Syria is declining and the natural resources are being used up quickly in the area but now have nothing. These people are living a “slow death”.

The upper land in Iraq is very fertile for agricultural use but the upper countries are using it instead and down south salt is building up and is preventing agricultural land from being cultivated. The water level on average is decreasing every year by 60% – 70%.

These countries should care about the potential problems in the future and not now. The real problem in conflict will prove to serious once the expected population doubles and the people of both countries are dying.