Climate Change Drives Food And Water Shortages In Syria, Iraq & Turkiye | The West Asia Post

Video & Transcript, "West Asia is running dry. Syria, Iraq, and Turkey are facing their worst droughts in decades, threatening food security, water supplies, and regional stability." The Heating Planet project at CofA Blog. 

 

TRANSCRIPT by AI: Regardless of the different struggles 0:02 and the crippling wars, Syria, Iraq, and 0:06 Turkey have a different crisis, one that 0:09 has nothing to do with politics, but is 0:11 not the less dangerous. We're talking 0:14 about drought and climate change. People 0:17 are grappling. There's crisis in 0:20 agriculture and in livelihoods. The next 0:23 report tells you more. 0:25 [Music] 0:28 West Asia is running dry. Syria, Iraq, 0:31 and Turkey are facing their worst 0:33 droughts in decades, threatening food 0:35 security, water supplies, and regional 0:37 stability. 0:39 In Syria, the United Nations says wheat 0:42 production has fallen by 40%. The 0:44 biggest drop in 36 years. 0:47 The UN Food and Agriculture Organization 0:50 estimates a wheat shortfall of 2.7 0:52 million metric tons this year, enough to 0:54 feed 16 million people. 1:00 This year we planted 100 donums and we 1:01 harvested nothing. The crops didn't grow 1:04 and even the shepherds didn't benefit 1:05 from the land. We incurred huge losses 1:07 including farm wages, seeds, and 1:09 fertilizer. 1:12 Malaysia. 1:13 The World Food Program warns that 3 1:15 million Syrians could face severe hunger 1:18 while over half the country is already 1:20 food insecure. 1:26 So far, no quantities of wheat have 1:28 arrived in Syria except for a grant from 1:30 our Iraqi brothers. Other than that, it 1:32 is being purchased by the Syrian 1:33 government. 1:37 Iraq is grappling with its driest year 1:39 since 1933. Official figures show water 1:42 levels in the Tigris and Euphrates have 1:45 dropped by up to 27% due to low rainfall 1:47 and upstream dams. 1:50 The United Nations warns Basra with a 1:53 population of 3.5 million is now the 1:55 country's most water stressed region 1:59 with saltwater intrusion destroying 2:01 agriculture and fisheries. 2:04 In Turkey, the Meteorological Service 2:06 reports rainfall in July plunged 71% 2:09 nationwide and 95% below normal in the 2:12 Marmura region. The Knip Dam in Teardog 2:15 has completely dried out while 2:17 reservoirs across the country have 2:19 dropped to their lowest levels in 52 2:21 years, triggering water cuts in major 2:24 provinces. 2:29 We are the region and province most 2:30 affected by drought in Turkey. our 2:33 country and our region. In the last two 2:35 months, not a single drop of rain has 2:37 fallen in the Nam Basin, Yazir or 2:40 Tukmanly basin. 2:45 The common thread is clear. Climate 2:48 change, poor management, and competing 2:50 demands for water are piling pressure on 2:52 an already fragile region. 2:55 With farmlands failing and reservoirs 2:57 emptying, millions are at risk. And 2:59 experts warned that without urgent 3:01 action, 3:03 drought could spark the next wave of 3:05 crisis across West Asia. Bureau report. 3:09 VON. World is one. 3:16 [Music]