Shafaq News<\/p>\n
After years of drought described as the worst in more than nine decades,
\nthe Euphrates River is bringing Iraq something it has not seen in a long time:
\nan abundance of water.<\/p>\n
With around 70% of Iraq\u2019s surface water originating outside its borders,
\naccording to the Ministry of Water Resources, the country once again finds
\nitself at the mercy of shifts beyond its control \u2014this time not because of
\nscarcity alone, but because of a sudden influx moving downstream.<\/p>\n
Reversing the Drain<\/p>\n
\u201cIraq possesses irrigation systems capable of absorbing any volume of
\nwater arriving through the Euphrates without causing floods.\u201d<\/p>\n
This assessment from Turhan al-Mufti, adviser to the Iraqi prime
\nminister on water affairs, reflects cautious confidence in Baghdad as the
\nincoming wave approaches. He pointed to an extensive storage network that
\nincludes Lake Haditha, which still has considerable unused capacity, alongside
\nHabbaniyah and Razzaza, with additional diversion possible toward Tharthar
\nDepression and the southern marshes. <\/p>\n
Calling it \u201ca wet year, not a flood year<\/a>,\u201d al-Mufti portrayed Iraq\u2019s The optimism follows a prolonged period of strain. During recent drought Still, al-Mufti cautioned that climate change leaves little room for River levels are only part of the challenge. Iraq\u2019s population has In some provinces, agricultural activity has fallen by as much as 50% As Iraq prepares to capture the incoming water, communities farther Euphrates flood wave approaches Iraq: Water lifeline or emerging threat? Breaking Point Across<\/p>\n \u201cThe water flooded bridges and major facilities, forcing authorities to That was the reality in eastern Syria, where Ali al-Hamad of the Floodwaters swept<\/a> through Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor before reaching Iraq, Sixty water stations went out of service in the Shamiyah and Jazira Syria\u2019s Deputy Energy Minister Osama Abu Zeid linked the rise in water Warning that conditions \u201ccould lead to flash floods and dangerous At the Euphrates Dam Institution, Haitham Bakour reported that Although the immediate danger phase was declared over, the damage Counting the Drops<\/p>\n The same flow is now being monitored<\/a> closely in Iraq, where specialists Water expert Tahseen al-Moussawi noted that releases from Syria \u201chave The wave is expected to enter Iraq through al-Qaim before reaching Farther downstream lies an interconnected chain of storage facilities He estimated that Iraq requires around 20 billion cubic meters of water, The developments upstream have also renewed scrutiny of Iraq\u2019s Authorities are already focusing on storage. Bayez al-Zarari of Agricultural releases have been postponed until mid-June to maximize For al-Zarari, the influx represents a \u201cnarrow window, an opportunity to
\nability to cope in simple terms; \u201cany quantity of water, regardless of how
\nlarge.\u201d The additional volumes, he added, could help revive marsh ecosystems
\nthat have endured years of decline.<\/p>\n
\nyears, inflows from the Euphrates dropped by more than 50%, according to the Ministry
\nof Water Resources, forcing major adjustments in farming practices and resource
\nplanning across the country.<\/p>\n
\ncomplacency and requires \u201ca measured use\u201d of available supplies.<\/p>\n
\nsurpassed 46 million, according to 2024 World Bank data, placing ever-greater
\ndemands on already strained supplies. International estimates suggest the
\ncountry may require more than $233 billion by 2040 to restore water and
\nenvironmental infrastructure, while nearly 30% of agricultural land has
\ndisappeared over the past three decades.<\/p>\n
\nduring severe dry spells, according to the Ministry of Agriculture \u2014a reminder
\nof how quickly changes in river flow can ripple through the wider economy.<\/p>\n
\nupstream have already experienced its destructive side.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\ncarry out urgent evacuations using local warning systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMinistry of Local Administration and Environment described emergency operations
\nstretching across more than 200 kilometers of the Euphrates. Response teams, he
\nrecalled, faced \u201cunprecedented challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ninundating farmland and disrupting daily life. Pumping stations stopped
\noperating, while residents in several low-lying areas were forced from their
\nhomes.<\/p>\n
\nregions. Key crossings, including al-Mayadeen and al-Asharah bridges, sustained damage<\/a>, and ferry traffic along the river came to a halt.<\/p>\n
\nlevels to a combination of snowmelt in the Turkish upstream basin and growing
\npressure on reservoirs that prompted the opening of dam spillways.<\/p>\n
\nerosion,\u201d he urged residents to stay away from riverbanks, avoid swimming, and
\nsuspend all activity near the water.<\/p>\n
\noperational teams remained on alert and maintained \u201coperational readiness\u201d to
\nregulate releases and safeguard infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\nremained evident. More than 5,000 dunams of farmland were flooded, affecting
\naround 2,400 families.<\/p>\n
\nare tracking both its volume and arrival time.<\/p>\n
\nnot exceeded 2,000 cubic meters per second,\u201d attributing part of the
\ndestruction in eastern Syria to \u201cencroachments and fragile infrastructure left
\nbehind by years of war.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHaditha Dam within four days. Described by al-Moussawi as \u201cthe first line of
\ndefense,\u201d the facility can hold more than 10 billion cubic meters, while
\ncurrent reserves stand at roughly 2 billion.<\/p>\n
\nstretching across Habbaniyah, Razzaza, Tharthar, and the southern marshes
\n\u2014enough to accommodate billions of cubic meters. Yet despite that advantage,
\nal-Moussawi argued that water administration continues to suffer from
\n\u201csignificant waste and chronic poor planning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nwhile nearly 17 billion cubic meters are expected to arrive from Syria in the
\ncoming days.<\/p>\n
\nnegotiations with neighboring countries. Pointing to the rapid filling of
\nTurkish reservoirs, al-Moussawi argued that the situation \u201craises questions
\nabout the management of Iraq\u2019s negotiating file,\u201d urging renewed implementation<\/a>
\nof water-sharing arrangements.<\/p>\n
\nparliament\u2019s Agriculture, Water and Marshlands Committee described the response
\nas being handled \u201cin a scientific and carefully planned manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nreserves, prioritizing retention over distribution. Monitoring efforts now rely
\nheavily on satellite imagery and international tracking systems.<\/p>\n
\nstrengthen water security if it is used properly.\u201d<\/p>\n