BAGHDAD, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab on Sunday urged just water distribution from shared waterways with upstream countries as his country is suffering from severe water scarcity.

He made the remarks at a press conference held on the second day of the 4th edition of the Baghdad International Water Conference, during which the minister used the term "under the poverty line" to describe Iraq's water deficiency as the amount supplied is below the needed level.

The minister called on other Arab countries to support Iraq's request for just water distribution from rivers that Iraq shares with neighboring upstream countries.

The conference aims to foster water management cooperation among countries based on the principles of international laws to benefit all people along shared waterways, according to the conference's official website.

Iraq suffers from a drought crisis and water scarcity due to climate change and a lack of rain. In addition, Baghdad has repeatedly complained about unstable water shares from rivers flowing from neighboring countries, which led to desertification and an increase in dust storms that forced many farmers to abandon their agricultural lands. Enditem

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