Iraqi Official Warns Of Dangerous Water Shortages

BAGHDAD --An official from Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture has repeated warnings of an acute water shortage in that country that could seriously affect food production and the environment, Radio Free Iraq reported.

Fadhil al-Farraji told the station that without rain soon, the country is threatened with severe losses of arable land.

Al-Farraji said Syrian and Turkish dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and poor domestic water- and land-management policies have contributed to the desertification of Iraq.

Al-Farraji claimed the recent intensity of sandstorms in Iraq is proof that desert areas are expanding.