Related coverage on Tigris River

Tigris River oil spill highlights Iraq’s environmental oversight and our addiction to oil

A fresh oil spill in the Tigris River, filmed by an Iraqi university student, has reignited concern over Iraq's polluted waterways. From ancient Mesopotamia to modern Basra, the country's dependence on oil has come at a steep environmental and human cost, with activists warning that unchecked contamination is putting ecosystems and public health at risk.

Water conflicts in the Middle East region to watch in 2025

Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts amplify existing disputes. Water scarcity can fuel unrest, as seen in Iran’s Khuzestan protests, and can undermine fragile peace deals in post-conflict states like Libya and Yemen.

Tigris River Flotilla Puts Iraq Back in the News

On Sunday, September 15, a fleet of traditional and modern Mesopotamian boats will sail down the Tigris River on...

Tracking the Impacts of a Hydroelectric Dam Along the Tigris River

For the next two months, I'll be taking a break from my usual Green Prophet posts to report on a transnational environmental issue: the Ilısu Dam currently under construction in Turkey, and the ways it will transform life along the Tigris River.

Floods, Climate Change and the Garden of Eden?

Are Jordan's snow and Israel's floods signs of climate change or are they simply flukes of weather?  People might...

Kurdish Self-Rule Spreading in War-Torn Syria

Could a united Kurdistan mean a victory for the peoples' natural resources: energy, and mighty rivers? Against the backdrop of...