1) The document presents a framework for salinity management in Iraq's Mesopotamian plain to reduce the impact of salts on agriculture. 2) The framework is based on technical and socio-economic assessments of salinity conducted at the field, irrigation district, and regional levels in Iraq over three years. 3) The most important lesson learned is that while interventions at the farm level are needed, a sustainable approach requires these interventions to be conducted within a larger salinity management framework at the watershed level.

1. Copingwith water scarcity and salinity:Lessons learnedinIraq
RichardW.O. Soppea
a
ICARDA - IntegratedWaterand Land Program, Amman,Jordan.r.soppe@cgiar.org
Abstract
We presentaframeworkonsalinitymanagement toreduce the impactof salts on agricultural
production inthe MesopotamianplaininIraq.The frameworkisbasedontechnical andsocio-
economicassessments of salinity atfieldscale,irrigationdistrictand regional levelinIraq overa 3-
yearperiod.
At the farm level the assessmentincludedfieldtrialsof cropvarietiesforselectionforsalt-tolerance,
an evaluationof currentfarmingpracticestocope withsalinity,andthe evaluationof water
managementpractices onsalinitythroughmodelingsoil-water-atmosphere-plantinteractions.
Assessmentatthe largerscale includedregional salinitymappingusingremote sensingtechniques,
analysisof regional waterandsaltflowsand resultantwaterandsaltflow diagrams,analysisof
historical andcurrentagricultural productionlevelsandlocations,andaninventoryof irrigation
hardware intwo representativeirrigationprojectsandsalinizationprocesses.
Usingthis comprehensiveassessment,asetof integratedmethodsto cope withthe varyinglevelsof
salinitywasproposed.The mostimportantlessonlearnedisthatinterventionsat the farmlevel are
needed, howeverasustainable approachtowardssaltmanagementrequirestheseinterventionsto
be conductedwithinalargersalinitymanagementframework atthe watershed level.