The newspapers issued in Baghdad today, Monday, 14 of August, followed the disputes over the oil and gas law and the impact of climate change on Iraq.

Al-Zawraa newspaper, published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, dealt with the most prominent disputes over the oil and gas law, as defined by the Parliamentary Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee.

Member of the committee, MP Zainab Jumaa, said in an interview with the newspaper: "Disagreements still exist over the oil and gas law, but this time by the Kurdistan region," indicating: "The administration of the region is not suitable for a law regulating the country's oil wealth."

She added: "Discussions are continuing between all political forces, and soon the law will be issued in a form that reveals the strength of the Iraqi government regarding oil wealth and its fair distribution among the Iraqi people."

She pointed out: "The Kurdistan Regional Government does not want to pass a law that is controlled by the federal government, since its lands are within Iraq and its return of revenues is legal to Baghdad."

Al-Zawraa quoted a member of the committee, Ali al-Mashkoor, as saying: "The delays in approving the oil and gas law in Parliament are not represented by technical contentious points only, but there are administrative points that do not exceed seven points."

He added: "There is a dispute about managing the fields in the Kurdistan region and who will manage these fields, whether the federal government or the government of Erbil, but as a law it must be implemented on all components inside the country, whether in the region or in Basra, given that the latter is not different from Kurdistan in anything (we are all under one umbrella, which is Iraq).

Regarding the position of the Kurdistan Region, al-Mashkoor stated: "The Kurdistan Regional Government is trying to continue the same old policy that it used to follow in managing its fields, which lacked a central presence."

On the impact of climate change on Iraq, Al-Sabah newspaper, published by the Iraqi Media Network, said that the United Nations Development Program said that Iraq loses about 400 thousand dunums of agricultural land annually due to climate changes.

The newspaper quoted the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Oki Lotsma: "Iraq was ranked fifth among the countries most vulnerable to climate change," noting that "the temperature is increasing in Iraq at a rate of 2-7 times faster than the standard global temperatures."

He added, "The marshlands are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change," noting that "recent years have witnessed an increase in temperatures of more than 55 degrees Celsius, which has increased the frequency and severity of droughts."

He continued, "The rainy season in Iraq 2020-2021 is the second in terms of drought in 40 years, which caused a decrease in the water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by 29% and 73%, respectively, which led to a decrease in the amount of water."

"Climate changes, such as the drying of the marshes, land degradation and desertification, make Iraq one of the countries in the Middle East most affected by sand and dust storms," he said.

He stressed that "the United Nations Development Program in Iraq works with the Iraqi government in the field of climate action, and supports it in its national priorities, as it realized that climate change represents a direct threat to the country, and this threat can be seen in water scarcity, dust storms, extreme heat waves, desertification, food security and loss of diversity."

In a related matter, Al-Zaman newspaper followed the procedures of the Ministry of Water Resources to alleviate the water crisis.

In this regard, it referred to the statement of the Ministry's advisor, Taha Deraa: "The Ministry seeks to benefit from the water in the Tharthar Basin because it is large and can be used through technical capabilities, reduce waste in water and prevent excesses that reduce water quantities, to address the poverty of water storage."

He added: "The file needs the support of the Prime Minister and the action of the concerned authorities with neighboring countries to obtain Iraq's share of water."

He explained: "The releases granted by Turkey are not included in Iraq's share, and it did not reach the required number, with the exception of an increase in the launches for a month only."

According to the newspaper, UNICEF representative in Iraq Sandra Lattouf recommended drawing up a road map to confront water scarcity, stressing her support for the government in resolving the crisis.

Al-Zaman quoted her as saying: "The government was able to confront water scarcity by taking the necessary measures at this difficult time, in cooperation with specialists and experts,"

Lattouf affirmed the readiness of the organization and its partners to steadfastly support the government's steps in facing water scarcity and support it strategically and morally.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency