The big problem associated with Mesopotamian farming was managing water, specifically issues with water shortage, uncontrolled water supply, and irrigation challenges. While Mesopotamia relied heavily on irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to grow crops, the system had several difficulties:
- Silt buildup in irrigation canals gradually raised fields above surrounding land, making irrigation harder.
- The region had very little rainfall, so farmers depended on unpredictable river floods for water, which could either flood crops or leave them dry.
- Maintaining irrigation canals required cooperation among villages and constant repair due to silt clogging.
- Salinization, the buildup of salt in the soil over time due to irrigation, reduced soil fertility and caused some fields to be abandoned.
- Controlling water flow to avoid both drought and flood damage was an ongoing challenge requiring complex infrastructure like dams, canals, levees, and basins.
- These challenges pushed Mesopotamians toward collaborative village structures and city formation to manage irrigation collectively.
In summary, the primary big problem in Mesopotamian farming was managing irrigation—balancing water supply, fighting salt buildup, repairing canals, and coping with environmental unpredictability.