Last year, low rainfall levels and high temperatures caused by climate change depleted water supplies across the country. Much of Iraq’s agricultural lands depend on irrigation, but dams and reservoirs were at record-low levels in the summer of 2021. Seawater is pushing into southern lands due to low river water levels. Resulting soil salinity is threatening agriculture. Iraq's historic marshlands in the south are also drying up, while temperatures are soaring. The southern city of Basra recorded nearly 54°C in 2021.
