Water conflict

When the water buffalo die

Iraq is one of the nations hardest hit by climate change. But the 'land between the two rivers' isn't just drying out, it's also battling groundwater contamination as a result of oil production

Music of the Nile

The Nile Project was a multinational music collective inspired by a river. It sang songs in a variety of styles and languages about life along and with the Nile. Like many projects in the region, it failed because of politics. By Katharina Wilhelm Otieno

Climate crisis: Iran and Afghanistan dispute Helmand water rights

Iran and Afghanistan recently exchanged gunfire amid rising tensions over water supplies. The countries are engaged in a decades-long dispute over rights to the Helmand River, on which Iran depends to irrigate land in its arid south.

'Catastrophic' grain harvest due to drought

A severe drought in North Africa has left Tunisian farmers bracing for a catastrophically poor harvest, imperilling food security in the cash-strapped country

The cross-border fight for water

Culture boom in Baghdad

Frustrated with their politicians, young Iraqis are turning their backs on politics and throwing themselves into cultural life. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad

COP27 – the things that can't be said

Civil society oppression, "disappointing" climate targets, drought, floods – these are the issues making waves for the Egyptian hosts at this year's international climate conference. By Tim Schauenberg

Alexandria or the sea?

The next UN climate change conference will begin in Egypt this weekend. In Alexandria, the effects of climate change can already be seen. Karim El-Gawhary reports from the stricken coastal city

No more lethargy – Algiers’ passive foreign policy is over

For the first time since 1989, Algeria‘s authoritarian regime has sent a military parade marching through Algiers. A formidable show of strength designed to impress rival regional powers, the event also sought to highlight the country’s own stance on Israel and Palestine. By Sofian Philip Naceur

Iraqi gazelles die of hunger in a parched land

Gazelles at an Iraqi wildlife reserve are dropping dead from hunger, making them the latest victims in a country where climate change is compounding hardships after years of war

Drought and diversions – pulling the plug on Isfahan

Drought and upstream water diversions have seen the Zayandeh Rood, "fertile river" in Persian, run dry since 2000, with only rare exceptions. The famed river bridges of the Iranian city of Isfahan are a beloved tourist draw – but much of the time their stone arches span just sand and rocks, not water