Iraq Seeks Cooperation from Iran and Türkiye to Tackle Water Shortages

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Tigris river in Iraq.

Iraq is intensifying diplomatic efforts to secure vital water resources ahead of the summer season, as the country faces historically low water storage levels and growing concerns over drought.

Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab announced that Türkiye has responded positively to Iraq’s appeal for increased water releases. The issue was a key topic during Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani’s recent visit to Ankara, where Iraqi officials met with Türkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Water Affairs, as well as the President’s water adviser.

“We received assurances from the Turkish side,” Diab stated, adding that Türkiye expressed understanding of Iraq’s urgent needs and provided hopeful commitments for the coming months. With forecasts predicting high summer temperatures, Iraq is depending on these promises to maintain water levels across the country.

Diab also revealed that Iraq plans to hold talks with Iran in the coming days, specifically to address the flow of the Karun River. Iraq is seeking a steady release of water to prevent saltwater intrusion into the Shatt al-Arab, a key waterway in the south. He noted that flows from other Iranian tributaries, including the Sirwan River feeding the Darbandikhan Dam, have been favourable.

At the same time, Iraq’s internal water reserves remain critically low. Engineer Ghazwan Abdul Amir al-Sahlani, Director of the General Authority for Irrigation and Drainage Projects, told al-Sabah newspaper that storage levels are below those recorded in 2024 and previous years.

Water allocations to provinces began on 1 May and will continue through to November to secure drinking water and sustain agriculture. However, al-Sahlani warned of excessive water waste, with daily per capita usage in some regions reaching up to 700 litres—far above international norms.

To mitigate the crisis, the Ministry has been releasing 140 cubic metres per second, split between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, using reserves from Lake Therthar. However, winter rainfall storage in the lake was limited, not exceeding 500 million cubic metres.

Officials are calling for urgent public cooperation and regional support as Iraq navigates another season of severe water stress.



PUKMEDIA