Iraq needs months of rain to refill rivers

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq must receive more than three months of heavy rainfall to restore water levels in the Tigris, Euphrates, and nearly dry reservoirs, the Green Iraq Observatory said on Saturday.

In a statement, the group warned that national reserves are close to collapse, expected to fall below 4% if rains remain scarce. It described the situation as Iraq’s worst water crisis in 90 years, spreading from the southern provinces to the west and center.

Government data shows that water storage has fallen from 18 billion to about 10 billion cubic meters due to weak rainfall, higher temperatures, and reduced inflows from Turkiye and Iran. The shortage has hit irrigation, damaged crops, and restricted access to drinking water.

The observatory said Turkiye’s pledge to release one billion cubic meters into Iraq’s rivers could help, though it cautioned that Ankara may demand "political or economic concessions" in return.

Last month, an Iraqi delegation visited Turkiye to request an increase of 500 cubic meters per second in river flows. Turkiye accepted the proposal in principle, and both sides agreed to finalize a new water-sharing framework.

Read more: From drought to saltwater: Iraq's deepening water crisis