The once-abundant Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the Middle East are facing significant reductions in water levels, posing risks to both agriculture and energy production in Iraq.
In 2023, about 14% of the world’s electricity was produced from hydroelectric plants. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), this percentage needs to increase to 28% by 2050 to meet the target of keeping global warming within 1.5°C.
Nevertheless, in the first half of 2023, global hydroelectric power generation saw a historic decrease of 8.5%, largely due to severe droughts and diminishing river flows and reservoirs in China, the leading producer of hydroelectric energy worldwide.
Sources: Shafaq News , Shafaqna English
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