In the most recent of these warnings, Jassim Al-Falahi, technical under-secretary of the Iraqi Ministry of the Environment, revealed in statements to the official Iraqi channel, in which he confirmed that Iraq produces more than 6 million cubic meters of wastewater per day, which is a very high rate that does not correspond to international standards.
He revealed that the ministry faces a real problem in the treatment of this water, due to the aging of the treatment infrastructures.
Scarce and polluted water
Experts warn that the existence of water scarcity, as well as its pollution, will lead to disasters that will be tantamount to threatening the population of entire regions with thirst, in addition to negative effects on the environment and health.
Iraqi academic and water strategy and policy expert Dr. Ramadan Hamza said in an interview with Sky News Arabia:
About 6 million cubic meters of wastewater are produced daily in Iraq, and this huge amount causes serious environmental pollution, as many Iraqi governorates face great difficulties in treating this water adequately, and for this, the problem of wastewater treatment is a real challenge in Iraq. Wastewater treatment processes depend on various techniques such as sedimentation, sterilization, bio-purification, etc. However, the stations and facilities concerned with wastewater treatment in Iraq suffer from a lack of equipment, appropriate technologies, adequate financing and administrative and financial corruption.
Sewage Hazards
The Iraqi academic adds that as a result, most sewage is discharged into rivers and public sewers without proper treatment, leading to ground and surface water pollution and posing a threat to public health and the environment. environment, especially hospital wastewater. and oil refineries and factories. In addition, the use of untreated wastewater to irrigate agricultural crops increases the risk of disease transmission and crop contamination. Failure to properly treat wastewater in a scientific manner can lead to the pollution of groundwater, rivers, lakes and agricultural soils, which negatively affects public health, the environment and the biobalance. The accumulation of wastewater causes health problems and crises, unpleasant odors, and threatens to spread infectious and deadly diseases such as cholera, for example.
Solutions and treatments
To address this problem, Hamza said, government agencies need to improve aging wastewater treatment infrastructure and provide adequate funding for related projects. The government should work in cooperation with international institutions and donors to provide modern technologies, training and build local capacity for wastewater treatment. Consumers must also be made aware of the importance of sustainable management of water resources, as this resource is the third source of water in Iraq after surface water and groundwater. After treatment, wastewater can be used for irrigation or aquifer recharge. Thus, wastewater treatment should be a national priority, as water sustainability is one of the most important mechanisms for achieving development and safeguarding the environment and public health.
Read the Latest World News Today on The Eastern Herald.
