Baghdad: The newspapers published in Baghdad on Thursday, October 16, focused on key economic and public issues, including the spending mechanism in the absence of a new budget, the growing impact of climate change on economic activity, as well as the current water shortage and reduced water releases.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Zawraa newspaper issued by the Iraqi journalists syndicate highlighted the government’s spending and funding mechanism as the fiscal year nears its end without a new budget being approved. Government financial advisor Mudhhir Muhammad Salih explained that the delay in finalizing the budget tables is due to several factors, most notably fluctuations in oil prices caused by geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the region. Another key factor is the need to amend the agreement with the Kurdistan Region, which requires coordination between Baghdad and Erbil.
He noted that Article 70/Second of Budget Law No. 13 of 2023 obliges the government to submit the tables, which h
as restricted the process, but the Council of Representatives is fully aware of the ongoing discussions. Salih added that if 2026 begins without an approved budget, the government will operate under the amended Financial Management Law No. 6 of 2019, with spending based on one-twelfth (1/12) of the actual expenditures of the previous year until a new parliament is elected and a new budget is approved.
Al-Sabah newspaper issued by the Iraqi Media Network focused on the growing impact of change on economic activities, noting that Iraq has suffered a sharp decline in its water reserves over the past two decades due to reduced rainfall and upstream countries’ climate violations of its water shares. As a result, Iraq now receives only about 40% of its previous water inflows. Economic expert Dr. Adnan Bahiya proposed a set of urgent measures to address the climate crisis and worsening desertification, including shifting from traditional flood irrigation to modern sprinkler and drip irrigation techniques to save wa
ter.
He also stressed the need to reach fairer water-sharing agreements with neighboring countries that share the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and to build a main embankment in the middle of Shatt al-Arab waterway to prevent seawater intrusion into Basra. Bahiya emphasized the importance of investing in clean energy by establishing large solar power fields to supply electricity to factories and government institutions during the day, thereby reducing pressure on the national power grid. He added that the shade from solar panels could also support agricultural and livestock activities, while raising public awareness about using rooftop solar panels to replace thousands of polluting private generators.
He also underlined the need to accelerate energy transition programs, pointing out that current power generation capacity stands at 18,000 megawatts, with an additional 8,000 megawatts imported, while total demand reaches 48,000 megawatts. Reducing gas flaring, he said, is essential to cut carbon emissions an
d environmental pollution. Bahiya noted that more than 95% of Iraq’s budget revenues rely on crude oil exports, making the shift to renewable energy a necessary but challenging step. He explained that carbon emissions, gas flaring, and environmental pollution are major drivers of global change, adding that Iraq is facing two critical factors worsening the crisis: fossil fuel production and reduced rainfall leading to lower river climate levels and increased desertification.
Al-Zaman newspaper highlighted the repercussions of water scarcity and reduced water releases, noting that the current stage is among the most challenging in this regard. The paper quoted Ministry of Water Resources spokesperson Khaled Shamal as saying that the ministry follows four main priorities in managing water resources: securing drinking water first, followed by water for domestic and sanitation use, then agricultural planning, and finally environmental needs related to the marshlands. Shamal explained that the severity of the curr
ent situation requires intensified government efforts and diplomatic pressure on neighboring countries regarding water releases. He added that Iraq is working on two key tracks-shared interests and shared geography-which create opportunities for understanding and cooperation.