2026-05-13T06:07:15+00:00

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Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Unlicensed factories along the
Euphrates River in Iraq’s Al-Anbar are threatening water quality and
surrounding ecosystems, prompting local authorities to move against violating
facilities operating on the riverbanks.

Qais Naji, director of Al-Anbar’s
Environment Directorate, told Shafaq News that all such factories along the
Euphrates would face legal measures, adding that local authorities in
Al-Habbaniyah had formed a joint committee involving the Environment Directorate
and the district administration to monitor these activities under the
supervision of District Commissioner Ali Dawood.

Environmental teams, according to
Naji, are conducting regular field inspections and submitting official requests
to the Environment Ministry to issue closure orders against violating
facilities, particularly in the Al-Khalidiya area along the Euphrates.
Factories that fail to comply with closure orders will be referred to the
judiciary under Iraq’s Environmental Protection and Improvement Law No. 27 of
2009.

Read more: Al-Anbar: An unfinished chapter in Iraq’s water story

Mohammed Ibrahim, an environmental
expert, separately warned that untreated industrial waste discharged into the
river could contaminate groundwater and water used for agriculture and
drinking. Pollutants including heavy metals, oils, and chemical waste could
accumulate in the Euphrates, harming biodiversity, causing fish deaths, and
degrading surrounding ecosystems.

Unregulated industrial activity could
increase thermal and chemical pollution in the river, negatively affecting
human health through the use of contaminated water for irrigation and drinking,
he added, while continued violations without effective oversight could “deepen
environmental pressures” through soil erosion, lower agricultural productivity,
and deteriorating water quality.

In 2025, a study by researchers from
the University of Al-Anbar also found biological oxygen demand (BOD5) levels in
the Euphrates near Al-Khalidiya exceeded permissible limits, associating the
deterioration with sewage, industrial, and agricultural pollution sources.

Read more: Pollution gnaws at Iraq: Laws without teeth, fines without impact

The warnings come as Iraq faces one
of its worst water crises in decades. A 2025 World Weather Attribution study
described the year as Iraq’s driest since 1933, with water levels in the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers dropping by up to 27%, while nearby Al-Habbaniyah Lake has
suffered sharp declines due to drought, reduced Euphrates inflows, and rising
evaporation rates, according to NASA Earth Observatory.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues