Drip Irrigation
new report
making every drop count:
can drip irrigation save agriculture in the cradle of civilization?
can drip irrigation save agriculture in the cradle of civilization?
What is now Iraq was one of the first places where agriculture developed approximately 10,000 years ago. Anchored on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Mesopotamia thrived because its extensive water system provided irrigation and fertile soil for farmers to grow crops.
Yet the agricultural sector is under threat. The UN classifies Iraq as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change, and its farmers are struggling with drought and high temperatures that affect crop yields and undermine their livelihoods.
Can something as basic as irrigation best practices be a major part of the solution? What can government and NGOs do to help? How can other factors affecting agriculture be mitigated?
executive summary
Iraq is suffering through a prolonged and unprecedented drought that is making rural livelihoods increasingly untenable, even in relatively water rich parts of the country like the Kurdistan Region. The drought is the result of a changing climate, but poor water management at all levels is also to blame.
In policy circles, there is often a fixation on supply shocks from drought, dams, and pollution that limit access to water. This report addresses the demand side of the water crisis. How can agricultural practitioners, from small-hold farmers to agribusinesses, be part of the solution to water shortages by using their water resources more efficiently? This report will also make recommendations about how governments and civil society can help communities reduce water demand.
executive summary
Iraq is suffering through a prolonged and unprecedented drought that is making rural livelihoods increasingly untenable, even in relatively water rich parts of the country like the Kurdistan Region. The drought is the result of a changing climate, but poor water management at all levels is also to blame.
In policy circles, there is often a fixation on supply shocks from drought, dams, and pollution that limit access to water. This report addresses the demand side of the water crisis. How can agricultural practitioners, from small-hold farmers to agribusinesses, be part of the solution to water shortages by using their water resources more efficiently? This report will also make recommendations about how governments and civil society can help communities reduce water demand.
As a pioneering deep dive into how Iraqi farmers use drip irrigation, this report provides a detailed description of how drip and other irrigation systems operate now, what holds some farmers back from using more efficient techniques, and the prospects for making drip irrigation technology the universal standard for Iraqi agriculture.
(Continued below.)
Laborers harvest potatoes on the KH Farm in Rovia in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.Laborers harvest potatoes on the KH Farm in Rovia in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. (Photo: Winthrop Rodgers)
To answer these questions, throughout the summer of 2025, EPIC conducted two-dozen in-person and remote interviews. The research included extensive site visits to farms across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), specifically Bazian, Sangaw, Halabja, Shahrazur, Erbil, and Rovia, and a remote interview with a farmer operating a 25-acre farm in the Chibayish district of Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq. Other interviews targeted government ministers, a provincial governor, businesspeople, academic researchers, environmental activists, and journalists. Interviews were conducted in Kurdish, Arabic, and English, with interpretation provided for Kurdish and Arabic.
The research showed that drip irrigation systems were widely used in the Kurdistan Region but were rarer in Iraq’s southern governorates. While the equipment needed for the systems—plastic pipes, rubber hoses, pumps, and electrical generators—is easily obtainable on the market, wariness about deviating from proven methods and financial considerations are the main obstacles to successfully adopting this more efficient method, despite its potential to increase crop yields by up to 50% and conserve water resources by up to 60% for individual farmers and their wider communities.
Although not a panacea, drip irrigation is a direct and simple solution that can help water-stressed communities survive periods of extreme drought. Even so, achieving widespread adoption will take a comprehensive effort involving multiple stakeholders.
To build a climate-resilient agricultural sector in Iraq, EPIC recommends that government authorities in Iraq and the KRI:
- Launch a National Irrigation Modernization Initiative to rehabilitate Iraq’s crumbling canals, install modern pumps, and clear blockages. The primary goals are to reduce massive transport losses, ensure equitable water distribution, and create a reliable foundation for wider adoption of water-saving technologies.
- Formalize Federal-KRG Coordination on Water and Agriculture. Establish a joint technical committee and a shared platform for data and policy coordination, specifically to streamline the adoption of efficient irrigation practices and better water management nationwide.
- Systematize Farm-Level Data Collection. Conduct granular surveys on water resources, crop selection, and irrigation methods to create a reliable evidence base for all water conservation and agricultural policy.
- Accelerate Drip Irrigation Adoption through an Agricultural Extension Service. Establish a permanent, national program to provide farmers with direct technical support, combining “proof of concept” demonstrations with sustained training and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. A key focus must be on promoting practices and technologies proven to work in local conditions—for instance, by deploying components resilient to
the high salinity and extreme heat of southern Iraq—to ensure farmers across Iraq can master efficient water use and unlock the technology’s full potential.
- Provide Targeted Financial Mechanisms. Support farmers with dedicated loans and subsidies to overcome the high upfront cost of purchasing and installing drip irrigation systems.
- Incentivize Proactive Adoption in Water-Abundant Areas. Launch programs in currently water-secure communities to promote drip irrigation as a tool for crisis prevention and long-term resource stewardship, not just scarcity response.
- Pursue Equitable Transboundary Water Agreements. Strengthen diplomatic engagement with neighboring countries to negotiate sustainable and equitable management of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This must be coupled with on-the-ground coordination and data sharing to improve water management practices among private actors, like farmers, across the entire Mesopotamian Basin.
As a pioneering deep dive into how Iraqi farmers use drip irrigation, this report provides a detailed description of how drip and other irrigation systems operate now, what holds some farmers back from using more efficient techniques, and the prospects for making drip irrigation technology the universal standard for Iraqi agriculture.
To answer these questions, throughout the summer of 2025, EPIC conducted two-dozen in-person and remote interviews. The research included extensive site visits to farms across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), specifically Bazian, Sangaw, Halabja, Shahrazur, Erbil, and Rovia, and a remote interview with a farmer operating a 25-acre farm in the Chibayish district of Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq. Other interviews targeted government ministers, a provincial governor, businesspeople, academic researchers, environmental activists, and journalists. Interviews were conducted in Kurdish, Arabic, and English, with interpretation provided for Kurdish and Arabic.
The research showed that drip irrigation systems were widely used in the Kurdistan Region but were rarer in Iraq’s southern governorates. While the equipment needed for the systems—plastic pipes, rubber hoses, pumps, and electrical generators—is easily obtainable on the market, wariness about deviating from proven methods and financial considerations are the main obstacles to successfully adopting this more efficient method, despite its potential to increase crop yields by up to 50% and conserve water resources by up to 60% for individual farmers and their wider communities.
Although not a panacea, drip irrigation is a direct and simple solution that can help water-stressed communities survive periods of extreme drought. Even so, achieving widespread adoption will take a comprehensive effort involving multiple stakeholders.
To build a climate-resilient agricultural sector in Iraq, EPIC recommends that government authorities in Iraq and the KRI:
- Launch a National Irrigation Modernization Initiative to rehabilitate Iraq’s crumbling canals, install modern pumps, and clear blockages. The primary goals are to reduce massive transport losses, ensure equitable water distribution, and create a reliable foundation for wider adoption of water-saving technologies.
- Formalize Federal-KRG Coordination on Water and Agriculture. Establish a joint technical committee and a shared platform for data and policy coordination, specifically to streamline the adoption of efficient irrigation practices and better water management nationwide.
- Systematize Farm-Level Data Collection. Conduct granular surveys on water resources, crop selection, and irrigation methods to create a reliable evidence base for all water conservation and agricultural policy.
- Accelerate Drip Irrigation Adoption through an Agricultural Extension Service. Establish a permanent, national program to provide farmers with direct technical support, combining “proof of concept” demonstrations with sustained training and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. A key focus must be on promoting practices and technologies proven to work in local conditions—for instance, by deploying components resilient to
the high salinity and extreme heat of southern Iraq—to ensure farmers across Iraq can master efficient water use and unlock the technology’s full potential.
- Provide Targeted Financial Mechanisms. Support farmers with dedicated loans and subsidies to overcome the high upfront cost of purchasing and installing drip irrigation systems.
- Incentivize Proactive Adoption in Water-Abundant Areas. Launch programs in currently water-secure communities to promote drip irrigation as a tool for crisis prevention and long-term resource stewardship, not just scarcity response.
- Pursue Equitable Transboundary Water Agreements. Strengthen diplomatic engagement with neighboring countries to negotiate sustainable and equitable management of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This must be coupled with on-the-ground coordination and data sharing to improve water management practices among private actors, like farmers, across the entire Mesopotamian Basin.
Download the full PDF:
Making Every Drop Count: Can Drip Irrigation Save Agriculture in the Cradle of Civilization?
