Tigris-Euphrates river system
Topic: World Physical Features and Natural Regions · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Tigris and the Euphrates are two rivers that both rise in Turkey. They flow south-east through Syria and Iraq. Near the end they join to form the Shatt al-Arab, which runs along the Iran-Iraq border into the Persian Gulf. The land between them, Mesopotamia, was a cradle of civilisation. Today, Turkey's dams upstream cause water disputes with Syria and Iraq downstream.
Example
Turkey's GAP project, which includes the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates, holds back water for power and irrigation. This leaves less water for farmers in Syria and Iraq. It shows the same upstream-downstream problem India faces on the Brahmaputra and the Indus.
Don't confuse with
- Shatt al-Arab: not a separate river system. It is the single channel the Tigris and Euphrates form after they join.