Restoring the Mesopotamian Rivers for Future Generations: A Practical Approach

It is not an understatement to say that a thriving and healthy river system for the Mesopotamian region means a thriving economy for all with a productive agriculture and a sustainable manufacturing base that needs reliable water supply and cheap power. When looked at from a 30,000 feet from the ground, the Mesopotamian region began experiencing a steady decline in the health of its rivers from the 1980s with a series of unfortunate man-made events ranging from wars to uncoordinated dam development. While there have been many analyses and historical dissection of the current water situation, one question that we all need to ask now is How can we restore the Mesopotamian rivers? Plain Language Summary We believe we need to think in radical ways and drive our multi-year and multi-disciplinary research agenda with the goal of driving sustainable economic development. Research just for research sake and publication of research papers is now an outdated concept that benefits a few in this region in the near term. We call on the key players of the region, such as the national governments, water ministries, US Department of State, and European Government agencies to push for win-win solutions. It is in their best economic and sovereign interest too to see Mesopotamian rivers restore sooner rather than later. Because, if the Mesopotamian rivers fail, then we as a world fail.