Context
The Euphrates River, one of the world’s oldest and historically significant river systems, is witnessing a steady decline in water levels and environmental degradation.
About Euphrates River
- The Euphrates River is the longest river in Western Asia, with a length of nearly 2,800 km.
- Originating in the Armenian Highlands of southeastern Turkey, it flows through Syria and Iraq before joining the Tigris River to form the Tigris–Euphrates river system, which finally drains into the Persian Gulf.
- Most of its water comes from winter rainfall and mountain snowfall, although much of the region through which it flows is arid.
- The fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave rise to ancient Mesopotamia, one of the earliest centres of human civilisation and part of the Fertile Crescent.
- Several important ancient cities, including Babylon, emerged along the river, which also served as a strategic boundary during conflicts among early kingdoms.
