Stabilising Iraq's Water Supply: what the Euphrates and Tigris rivers can learn from the Indus

Abstract The future stability of the young and relatively weak Iraqi government rests on its ability to provide basic public goods—water, food, and electricity—to its populace, which is related directly to stabilising the quality and quantity of its available water supply. Since 98% of Iraq's water comes from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, both of which originate and flow through several countries before entering Iraq, stabilising the water supply becomes an international issue. In other words, to stabilise Iraq's water supply, there needs to be a comprehensive agreement between the states sharing the Euphrates and Tigris. As this article argues, an agreement is possible when states have an interest in co-operation, a neutral mediator facilitates the negotiations, and a river commission is established to maintain long-term co-operation. Due to important changes today the states sharing the Euphrates and Tigris rivers confront favourable conditions that can lead to an agreement.