06/26/2026
The Tigris River gave birth to civilization. Today, it is carrying oil.
A recently documented oil spill filmed by Iraqi student Jasim Al-Mashhadani is another reminder of the environmental price of our dependence on fossil fuels. The Tigris has nourished Mesopotamia for thousands of years, but pollution, untreated waste, shrinking water supplies and repeated oil contamination now threaten millions who rely on it.
Iraq is one of the world's largest oil producers. International companies including BP, Shell, Eni, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Lukoil, PetroChina, and Gazprom Neft have all operated major projects in the country alongside Iraq's state-owned oil companies. While these companies contribute to Iraq's economy ($100B in oil every year), the industry also carries an environmental responsibility that extends beyond production to protecting rivers, groundwater, and public health.
In Basra, where oil wealth contrasts sharply with pollution and poverty, residents have long raised concerns about contaminated water and rising cancer rates. They can't use the water from the tap! I have reported on these connections through interviews with a local environmental advocate who has to speak anon to protect her lfe.
The Tigris is more than a river. It is part of humanity's shared heritage. Protecting it requires stronger environmental oversight, corporate accountability, and ultimately reducing our addiction to oil.
