Iraq has been identified as the fifth most vulnerable country globally to decreased water and food availability, extreme temperatures, and associated health problems. While the drought has already had immediate devastating effects in 2021, increased and continued water scarcity exacerbated by climate change could reverberate to urban areas as a result of the displacement of farmers and temporary wage workers who have lost their means of income. Without targeted assistance and policy measures, the drought and climate impact will serve as another displacement driver and devastating blow on the lives of displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable communities in Iraq.

In November 2021, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Iraq conducted an assessment on the impact of the drought on agriculture production in the 2020-2021 cropping season. More than 2,800 households were surveyed across farming communities in Anbar, Basra, Duhok, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salah Al-Din, and Thi Qar governorates, which includes approximately 300 IDPs and 1,500 returnees among respondents. An additional survey was conducted with 100 food vendors and livestock traders, as well as 48 key informant interviews with community stakeholders and authorities, namely mukhtars and employees of the Directorates of Agriculture and Departments of Irrigation.