An estimated 200,000 people from Mosul and across Iraq will
be able to earn an income for the first time since the Islamic State of the
Levant (ISIL) took parts of the area in 2014, thanks to a new FAO project that
is restoring irrigation to 250 000 hectares of farmland, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Water will soon be flowing again through the canals that
used to feed the once-fertile land some 30 km west of Mosul - Iraq's third
largest city. Through the cash-for-work component of the project, FAO supports
vulnerable families who need money for daily needs, including food and clothes,
heating and transport. Many of them have not had paid employment for at least
two years.
Participants are clearing the main canal of the northern Al
Jazeera irrigation scheme of dirt, stones and debris, which will allow it to
again feed small canals throughout the farming landscape.
FAO has also repaired the pumping station that feeds the
canal system from Mosul Dam. And, for the first time, the agency is
collaborating with a demining company to clear valuable farmland around the
canals of undetonated ordinances, so farmers can plant crops and graze their
livestock safely.
The project is already benefiting more than 3 000 people and
is essential in getting farming activities in the area back underway.
"Farmers here haven't been able to grow vegetables for
two years, since the irrigation canals were destroyed by armed groups who also
contaminated the area with explosive devices," said Fadel El-Zubi, FAO
Representative in Iraq. "Restoring people's ability to farm and trade in
this area is not only important for food security but also for building
prosperity and lasting peace in the country," he added.
Farmers in the region used to export vegetables and crops,
including wheat and barley, to Syria and other countries, as well as supplying
millions of people in Iraq. Now the country relies on fruit and vegetable
imports.
"We collect debris in piles, and then merge every four
piles into one big one for the excavator to pick up and remove from the
canal," said 23-year-old Ahmed Mohammed, a father of three. "My
brother has agricultural land and he'll benefit from the project as well. He
used to grow wheat and barley in the winter and vegetables at other times. Now
he can only grow vegetables when the rain falls."
The Al Jazeera irrigation scheme used to be an essential
source of water for agriculture, livestock and domestic use. Some 100 smaller
canals in the system were damaged, bridges were also blown up and the damaged
pumping station was working under capacity, resulting in extreme water
shortages.
As the Government of Iraq retakes control of more areas, a
major effort is needed to rehabilitate critical infrastructure so that
agricultural production can resume and livelihoods can be restored. FAO is
seeking urgent funding of $89 million to strengthen its emergency response,
including rehabilitating damaged agricultural infrastructure, supporting
farmers to vaccinate and feed their livestock, and expanding cash-for-work and
other income-generating activities.
FAO's work, in coordination with the Iraqi
government, supports families returning to reclaimed areas, internally
displaced families, host communities and refugees from Syria. The current
project on the Al Jazeera irrigation scheme is funded through the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
Pix: Da Silva, Director-General, FAO
