HABBANIYAH: Years-long drought has converted a lakeside resort in Al-Anbar Province of central Iraq into a deserted land, once flocked by tourists in summer.
According to Western media reports, lake Habbaniyah has been shrunk, losing the interest of tourists.
The local population is facing a lot of difficulties due to the weak tourist season as they are dependent on travelers to earn their livelihoods.
Iraqi merchant Mohamed told AFP there is no tourist activity at the resort due to a shortage of water in the lake. He used to rent out inflatable water floats, nets and shirts but there are no more customers this year.
Iraq lakeside resort, no more a tourist attraction
The United Nations has ranked Iraq as one of the five countries most impacted by climate change.
Jamal Odeh Samir, director of water resources in Anbar province, said Lake Habbaniyah when full, could hold up to 3.3 billion cubic metres of water, but now it contains 500 million cubic metres of water. Shops and other holiday homes by the lake are now empty.
The lake resort was built in 1979 around the artificial lake and was a major tourist attraction in the Middle East. However, the ongoing drought and rising temperatures have converted Habbaniyah into barren land.
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Iraq believes that the upstream dam constructed by Turkey has decreased the water level in the Euphrates River, a major source of Habbaniyah Lake.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk during a visit to Baghdad last week, warned that rising temperatures and the drought is a wake-up call for Iraq and the world.
