BASRA - In Iraq, one of the world’s driest and poorest countries, Western oil companies are exacerbating water shortages as they make record profits exporting alternatives to Russian oil in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Pollution, water depletion, and greenwashing: Oil companies and the ecocide in Iraq

Interviews, financial data and exclusive Iraqi government records, show that British oil giant BP, as well as Italian multinationals ENI, are exploiting environmentally disastrous technologies to extract oil in Southern Iraq.

With the production scaling up, an increasing amount of water is being taken from the already depleted rivers in Basra (that accounts for two thirds of Iraq oil total exports) and used in injections to extract oil. An environmental and health disaster is looming over the country if oil companies fail to be held accountable.

The names of some of the journalists involved cannot disclosed due to safety reasons.

On the right: Photograph by Daniela Sala

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  • Oljens pris. Forurensning, utarming av vannressurser og grønnvasking: Oljeselskapenes virksomhet i Irak omtales som økomord. AftenPosten, issue November 2023

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