Maysan environment director warns of water scarcity, pollution

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The director of Maysan’s Environment Directorate, Amir Kazim al-Aridi, has warned that water scarcity and pollution in the southern Iraqi province are threatening public health, agriculture and biodiversity. Al-Aridi said Maysan relies on the Hilla River for its water supply, but the volume reaching the province has fallen sharply, leaving residents and farmland short of sufficient resources. He attributed the rising pollution partly to the unchecked spread of water hyacinth on the river’s surface and to untreated wastewater being discharged into the river by the Maysan Sewerage Directorate. The Environment Directorate is conducting inspections of public and private facilities releasing waste into the river and has begun legal proceedings against violators, he added. Al-Aridi also said Maysan’s large expanses of desert and sparse vegetation make the province more vulnerable to high temperatures and the effects of climate change. Falling water levels combined with extreme heat, he warned, are already producing health problems for communities living along the river and nearby marshes.