Save the Tigris Foundation

We are a civil society advocacy platform aiming to promote water justice in the Mesopotamian basin. Save the Tigris seeks to link groups and movements from Iraq, Türkiye, Syria and Iran concerned with the protection of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Our platform provides international solidarity and supports the exchange of knowledge. We advocate for policies that secure ecological justice including the equitable and democratic use of water for all who live in the Mesopotamian region. Save the Tigris believes a paradigm shift is necessary: instead of being a source of rivalry, water should be a force for peace and cooperation between all the countries and peoples of the Tigris-Euphrates basin. We advocate for safe access to water for all the people of the Mesopotamian region, and policies that secure the sustainable and equitable use of water for all those who live in Mesopotamia and for the coming generations. Our advocacy and awareness activities involve all relevant actors: local communities, civil society organizations, media, authorities, academics, research centres and others. Starting in 2012 as an international campaign, Save the Tigris was registered in 2020 as a foundation in the Netherlands, and in the summer of 2022 we were officially awarded ANBI status.