Baghdad, Feb. 22 (BNA) Iraq’s Lake Razzaza was once a tourist attraction famous for its scenic views and abundance of fish that locals depend on. Now, dead fish are littering its shores and the once-fertile land around it has turned into a barren desert, according to the Associated Press.
Al-Razzaza Lake, one of Iraq’s largest lakes, is experiencing a significant drop in water levels and has been exposed to pollution and rising salinity levels.
“During the 1980s and 1990s, Lake Razzaza was a source of livelihood, as it had fish including yellowfin, brown and carp because the water level was good,” says fisherman Saleh Aboud. “But it’s dried out now.”
Lake Al-Razzaza is the latest victim of the water crisis in Iraq, known as the “land between the two rivers” – the Tigris and the Euphrates. Upstream dams have reduced rivers and their tributaries, seasonal rainfall has decreased, and infrastructure is in poor condition.
Hundreds of families used to fish al-Razzaza to make a living. Now the number of dead fish that appears is greater than the number of live fish that they can catch.
Lake Al-Razzaza, also known as Lake Salt, is located between the provinces of Anbar and Karbala. It is the second largest lake in Iraq and is part of a wide valley that includes the lakes of Habbaniyah, Tharthar and Bahr al-Najaf.
The lake was created as a measure to control the floods in the Euphrates River and used as a huge reservoir for irrigation purposes. The lake is frequented by Iraqis and tourists as a recreational area to relax during Iraq’s hot summers.
Not anymore, with the lake getting smaller every year. In recent years, it has been affected not only by water shortage but by drought, neglect and increased evaporation during Iraq’s hot summers.
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