Sabrina Tavernisi

From The New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is The Daily. As the Middle East braces for another year of extreme heat, longtime war correspondent Alyssa Rubin goes to Iraq, one of the hottest places on Earth, and tells the story of a new source of conflict, water. Today, Iraq's water crisis and what it means for the world. It's Tuesday, May 6th. Alyssa, you are a war reporter.

From The New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is The Daily. As the Middle East braces for another year of extreme heat, longtime war correspondent Alyssa Rubin goes to Iraq, one of the hottest places on Earth, and tells the story of a new source of conflict, water. Today, Iraq's water crisis and what it means for the world. It's Tuesday, May 6th. Alyssa, you are a war reporter.

You spent over two decades covering Iraq, starting with the U.S. invasion in 2003. You and I were there together. We reported on many crises in Iraq, the war over all of those years. I left and you stayed. And you've recently turned your attention to a different kind of crisis. Tell us about that reporting.

You spent over two decades covering Iraq, starting with the U.S. invasion in 2003. You and I were there together. We reported on many crises in Iraq, the war over all of those years. I left and you stayed. And you've recently turned your attention to a different kind of crisis. Tell us about that reporting.

So it became very clear to you that water should be your focus, that water was going to be the big problem going forward.

So it became very clear to you that water should be your focus, that water was going to be the big problem going forward.

Wow.

Wow.

So they literally disassemble their houses.

So they literally disassemble their houses.

What's an example of a place emptying out like that, of people moving?

What's an example of a place emptying out like that, of people moving?

So the village was literally disappearing from the map, in a way. The people were leaving it, and it was turning into dust. Yes.

So the village was literally disappearing from the map, in a way. The people were leaving it, and it was turning into dust. Yes.

We'll be right back. So the land is drying up. Farming is becoming untenable as a way of life. And people are fleeing their villages. You set out to see where they were going. Tell me about that.

We'll be right back. So the land is drying up. Farming is becoming untenable as a way of life. And people are fleeing their villages. You set out to see where they were going. Tell me about that.

So the upshot here for people who move like this is pretty grim. I mean, essentially they're impoverishing themselves by moving.

So the upshot here for people who move like this is pretty grim. I mean, essentially they're impoverishing themselves by moving.

Right. It's not necessarily because they've become believers in it. So in other words, a lot more young people, particularly young men, unattached and kind of unmoored, who, because of this water problem, are potentially fertile ground for recruitment. Yes, that's right. So, Alyssa, what can Iraq do? It seems pretty stuck.

Right. It's not necessarily because they've become believers in it. So in other words, a lot more young people, particularly young men, unattached and kind of unmoored, who, because of this water problem, are potentially fertile ground for recruitment. Yes, that's right. So, Alyssa, what can Iraq do? It seems pretty stuck.