Saleem Ethaib, Marwan Fahs, Hussein Hadi Mossa Mishbak, Mohammad N. Fares, Jamal S. Makki, Abdulzahra Alhello, Hayder A. Abbood, Sarah N. Abdel Hassan, A. Alrijabo, M. Azaroual, Husam Musa Baalousha, Nicolas Baghdadi, Pierre Blanc, Juliette Duclos, Laurent Drapeau, Nizar Hariri, Hayfaa Jasim Hussein, Waleed Jebir Hassan, Talib Eghap Hussien, François Lehmann, Florence Le Ber, Mahdi S. Mizel, Raghdan Mohsin, Amera K. Nasser, Tarek Nasser, Ali Farouq Al-Ma’athedi, A. Raeisi, Renaud Toussaint, Adrien Wanko Ngnien, Anis Younès, Kévin Del Vecchio, A. Al Bitar
Southern Iraq or lower Mesopotamia has a crucial role in Iraq’s economy due to its agricultural resources and unique wetland areas. Today southern Iraq, which is historically considered the birthplace of the development of early farming communities and the domestication of plants, is experiencing a drastic water resources crisis which is driven by both natural and human-induced reasons such as climate change, long periodical drought and water resources mismanagement practices. Despite the severity of the crisis, there is a lack of integrated and comprehensive assessments addressing the current state of water resources in southern Iraq. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing an in-depth review of the factors affecting water resources in the region. The current situation of water resources is analyzed using different indicators such as water availability in marshes, salinity variation along Shatt al-Arab river and surface of cultivated areas. This paper reviews previous studies, summarizes the current situation, analyzes the key challenges, and explores a range of potential solutions for further investigation. This study analysis is essential for guiding advanced research efforts that offer deeper insight into the challenges and propose practical solutions. This paper identifies key topics for future research to address the water crisis.