Abstract

Evaluating Water and Food Security in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin
Track: Defense and Intelligence
Authors: James Trice, Julia Collins

In the Tigris and Euphrates Basin, Syria, Turkey and Iraq lack a trilateral agreement and official policy for water sharing, resulting in regional conflict. Years of low precipitation, irrigation inefficiency and diversion of water has influenced available water resources and regional policy efforts. Iraq depends on this water for agriculture, hydropower, industrial and municipal purposes. NGA has been monitoring key reservoirs in this system and Iraq marshes using data from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Relative water levels are used to assess volume and available storage in the reservoirs and year-to-year water level comparisons. The results can be used to help predict the health of Iraqi agriculture and marshes. NGA also provides agriculture products which assess canal functionality and vegetation status. Combined, these two products enhance analysis of food security, economic reconstruction, and regional stability. The processes that NGA uses can be applied to other regions of the world.

James Trice
Department of Defense
3838 Vogel Road
Arnold, Missouri 63010
United States
Phone: 314-676-9082
E-mail: james.t.trice@nga.mil

Julia Collins
NGA
L-10, 3838 Vogel Road
Arnold, Missouri 63376
United States
Phone: 314-676-0208
Fax: 314-676-3011
E-mail: julia.a.collins@nga.mil