Our new report opens on a farm near Halabja, where researcher Winthrop Rodgers watched farmer Khasraw Mohammed turn on the pump to his 16-meter well. Within minutes, the clear water turned cloudy brown. The well was dry, sucking up mud.

“It’s disastrous for us,” Khasraw said.

His story is becoming heartbreakingly common. Iraq is grappling with its worst water shortage in 90 years. Intensified by climate change and continental drying, the drought is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the food security of 46 million people. In the cradle of civilization, the ancient practice of farming is at a precipice.

But what if a key part of the solution is surprisingly simple?

Today, EPIC releases our groundbreaking report, “Making Every Drop Count: Can Drip Irrigation Save Agriculture in the Cradle of Civilization?”

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النسخة العربية

Based on extensive site visits to farms across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and remote interviews with farmers, academics, environmentalists, and public officials, the report provides a first-of-its-kind deep dive into the challenges and immense opportunities of adopting drip irrigation. Our analysis identifies drip irrigation as a critical tool for water conservation and more resilient, climate-adaptive agriculture.

Here’s what we found:

Drip irrigation—a system of pipes and hoses that delivers water directly to a plant’s roots—can boost crop yields by up to 50% and save up to 60% of the water used by individual farmers. The equipment is available; the chief obstacles are mindset and financing.

• In the Kurdistan Region, drip irrigation is widely used for vegetables, and farmers like Hamid Esmail attest it “saves time, physical labor, and saves water.”
• In central and southern Iraq, it’s more rare. Legacy flood irrigation systems, water-intensive staple crops, and a lack of financial support hold farmers back.

Critically, we found that providing the technology is not enough. A 2022 study in Sulaymaniyah’s Penjwen district in the Kurdistan Region found tomato farmers using drip systems still applied three to six times more water than necessary. This means the mission is twofold: promote adoption and ensure farmers have the training to master the technology.

This report offers a clear path forward.

EPIC’s recommendations provide a roadmap for a national strategy, calling for a National Irrigation Modernization Initiative, better coordination between Baghdad and Erbil, targeted financing for farmers, and a robust agricultural extension service to provide hands-on training.

This is about more than just saving some water. It’s about saving a way of life, preserving Iraq’s agricultural heritage, and securing a viable future for its rural heartland.

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None of this on-the-ground, actionable research would be possible without the support of our community. Thank you for believing in our mission and for caring about a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for Iraq.

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