Mesopotamia: protecting water resources

In April 2019, the first Mesopotamian Water Forum was held in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan; activists and Civil Society organisations from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey gathered to discuss how water resources can become an instrument for peace. The following is the final declaration.

Mesopotamia: protecting water resources

First Mesopotamian Water Forum (MWF), University of Sulaimani
Sulaymaniyah – Iraqi Kurdistan
6-8 April 2019

FINAL DECLARATION

Excessive water extraction, the drying up of the marshes and wetlands, too many irrigation projects, dried or insufficiently drained land, soil leaching of fertilisers and pesticides, contamination from polluted and untreated sewers from houses and factories, the widespread construction of large dams and smaller cascade dams, the increasing exploitation of aquifers, the canalisation of streams, water basin transfer techniques and the devastation caused by climate change triggered by the uncontrolled use of fossil fuels; all these factors have contributed in different ways to local and regional water shortages and disturbed the natural hydrological cycles.

For living creatures, this shortage was exacerbated by the commercialisation and politicising of water, and the denial of access to this common good. Every single one of these problems is cause for serious concern. But combined, they are a real threat to the survival of people and living beings.

Defending water resources in Mesopotamia and access to them for all living beings is our civil duty. Without water, there cannot be life.

Water is the key element of our culture and spirituality. So many of our traditional legends, myths, songs, poems, prayers and dances focus on water, since humans first settled in Mesopotamia, more than 13,000 years ago. In Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran – the four countries through which the rivers of the Mesopotamian basin flow – many conflicts are triggered by disputes over access to water.

In the previous century, governments made the mistake of establishing policies which polluted and ruined the region’s rivers and ecosystems, blinded by economic or military considerations. Hundreds and thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, to allow for the building of dams and the transfer or deviation of water resources.

The impact on the environment has been massive, and the survival of many species of flora and fauna is under threat; the health of the human population is also at risk, and economic and social inequality is increasing.

This has triggered civil opposition, and vibrant environmental and social justice movements across Mesopotamia are fighting for their constitutional rights and campaigning for universal access to clean water. In many cases, men and women activists have been arrested, detained and brutally repressed.

More than 150 environmental activists from the whole region, and 150 mire activists from Africa, Asia, USA and Europe gathered at the first ever Mesopotamian Water Forum, organised at the University of Sulaimani in Sulaymaniyah (Iraqi Kurdistan), from the 6th – 8th April 2019; their shared goal was to find peaceful and sustainable solutions to the many inequities. 

We met in a spirit of solidarity and determination to share best practice. We explored the many causes of water shortages, and considered the complex role of water management in economic and social systems. We learned how intensive building of dams and other infrastructure contributed to the current water shortage. We discussed other water management approaches which would be of benefit to everybody, not just to a few.

We learned about new initiatives, mainly in Rojava in northeastern Syria, where participatory methods of water governance are being developed involve all communities, regardless of ethnicity or religion – through a grassroots, consensual approach to decision-making.

We, the people of Mesopotamia – and our allies at the Mesopotamian Water Forum – declare that despite our cultural, social, political and environmental differences, we are united in our struggle. We express our solidarity with all the men and women who fight for justice and the right to water as a common good, both regionally and internationally.

We have agreed upon the following points:

1. We will oppose any destructive and exploitative regional water management policies, and recognise the impact they would have on women and other oppressed minorities, while we strive to identify the root causes;

2. We will support agreements negotiated in accordance with international law, which ensure the fair distribution of water resources from the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, for the benefit of all living beings in the region;

3. We will oppose the use of water to assert dominance and we will work to ensure its role as an instrument for cooperation and for the creation of sustainable peace;

4. We appeal for an end to the current block of water flow by Turkey and Iraq towards Syria and Iraq;

5. We appeal for a block to the forced flooding of the ancient town of Hasankeyf for the building of the Ilisu dam, and we will dedicate our efforts to the conservation of the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Mesopotamian Marshes;

6. We will build national, regional and international alliances to develop policies and practices for democratic water resource management;

7. We will strive to ensure that water management prioritises the collective right to survival over the commercial interests of a minority;

8. Given that most of the deviated water is used for irrigation, the following points are of the utmost importance: Subsistence farmers depend on access to clean water. So the use of chemicals should be banned in land near waterways. Given that hybrid and OGM seeds require lots of water and can harm ecosystems, only local seed varieties should be sown. Animals should not be kept near the rivers, to prevent water contamination. Water used for farming must not be contaminated by industrial usage. Irrigation near waterways is acceptable but not over great distances. In addition, instead of using excessive amounts of water to irrigate non-native crops, it is preferable to work with crops which are suitable for our local climate and conditions.

9. The intensive pollution and destruction of the River Tigris originate at its mouth. One of the reasons for this is that is not classified as a river at its origin upstream, until it reaches the town of Bismil. We are launching an international campaign to reclassify it as a river for its whole length.

10. We will expand the “Save the Tigris” to become an exchange network where men and women activists in Mesopotamia can discuss ideas and work on declarations, reports and joint campaigns;

11. We will develop the Mesopotamian Water Forum as a forum for local, national and regional debate and decision-making to facilitate and promote participatory and socially sustainable water resource policies;

12. We will implement the specific recommendations made at the Forum workshops, as outlined in the annex;

13. Organizzeremo un secondo incontro del Mesopotamian Water Forum a Diyarbakir (Amed), in Tur We will organise a second Mesopotamian Water Forum in Diyarbakir (Amed), Turkey.

 

Signatory organisations and promotors:

Save the Tigris Campaign (STC) Humat Dijla (Tigris Keepers),Iraq · Mesopotamia Ecology Movement, North Kurdistan · Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI), Iraq · Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive, Turkey · People’s Campaign to Save the Kind Zagros, Iran · Waterkeepers Iraq, Kurdistan Region of Iraq · Make Rojava Green Again Campaign, Rojava/Northeast Syria · Ecology Union, Turkey · Mountain Watch, Iran · DOZ international, Northeast Syria · Union of Turkish Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), Diyarbakir (Amed) Branch, Turkey · KAREZE Environmental Organization, Iran · Lebanon Eco Movement, Lebanon · Rivers Without Boundaries, East and North Asia · Movement of Defence of Water, Land and Environment (MODATIMA), Chile · Un Ponte Per…, Italy · Corner House, UK · International Rivers, USA · Water Grabbing Observatory, Italy · Italian Forum of Water Movement, Italy.