Attachments
SUMMARY
Introduction
This assessment was conducted in the Al-Dawaya and Al-Gharraf sub-districts of Thi-Qar governorate, a region facing an unprecedented climate-induced crisis. Iraq’s arid to semi-arid climate, exacerbated by rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and upstream water policies, has led to severe water scarcity. The crisis, driven primarily by climate change, poor irrigation infrastructure, and long-standing issues of water and soil salinity, has affected all farmers and livestock owners in the area. According to official displacement and water shortage data, thousands of families have been forced to migrate, while many remain to cope with diminishing agricultural productivity.
Key stakeholders in this assessment include national and local government bodies—such as the Directorates of Agriculture and Water—international organizations, local NGOs, and the affected communities themselves. This multi-stakeholder process was coordinated under the broader humanitarian and development framework facilitated by IMPACT in partnership with ACTED and funded by ECHO. The assessment was designed to address critical information gaps concerning the vulnerabilities of local agricultural communities, specifically the economic, social, and environmental dimensions tied to water scarcity, soil degradation, and limited fodder access.
The research employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative surveys (conducted remotely via phone interviews) with qualitative tools like key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping exercises. The study covered detailed household profiles, income and expenditure patterns, and infrastructural evaluations, complemented by remote sensing analyses. While the remote data collection imposed some limitations on representativeness, the triangulation of multiple data sources ensured a robust understanding of the challenges and informed the subsequent identification of priority interventions.