Iraq's Buffalo Population Plummets Due to Droughts and Water Scarcity

Impact of Drought on Buffalo Herds

• 📉 Iraq's buffalo population has more than halved in the last decade, threatening the livelihoods of breeders and farmers like Sabah Ismael.
• 💧 Farmers who once benefited easily from water resources now face significant challenges, with Sabah Ismael noting a drop from 120-130 buffalo to 50-60.

Historical Significance and Current Crisis

• 📜 Buffalo have been farmed in Iraq for centuries, historically valued for their milk and even mentioned in ancient inscriptions.
• 🌡️ Experts cite climate change as a contributing factor to the current water crisis.
• 🏞️ Upstream damming by Turkey and Iran, coupled with outdated domestic irrigation techniques, exacerbate the water scarcity problem.

Expert Analysis of Population Decline

• 📊 Marshland expert Jassim Malasadi states the buffalo population has fallen from 150,000 to fewer than 65,000 in the past 10 years.
• 🌊 Key reasons for this decline include scarcity of water releases, deterioration of pastures, and a significant rise in water salinity (over 15,000 parts per million).
• ⚠️ Buffalo cannot survive in water with salinity exceeding 5,000 parts per million, forcing breeders to relocate closer to the Euphrates River or to village centers.

Future Concerns for Farmers

• 😥 Breeder Abdul Hussein Spay expresses worry about further buffalo deaths in the upcoming summer.
• 🌾 The crisis extends beyond buffalo, with farmers also experiencing a drastic decline in crop production and rising fodder prices.