Rainfall drives higher inflows to Iraq’s Tigris, Euphrates

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq recorded an increase in inflows to the Tigris, Euphrates, and Diyala rivers following recent rainfall and flooding, raising storage levels in dams and reservoirs and increasing water releases, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Friday.

The ministry pointed out it had adopted an integrated operational and storage plan to absorb the inflows, aiming to maximize water reserves and compensate for shortages caused by years of drought and depleted storage. It also indicated that information received from Turkiye points to increased releases from Turkish dams toward the Tigris and Euphrates, noting that “technical teams are fully prepared to manage the inflows efficiently to boost water storage, support the marshes, and improve conditions in the Shatt Al-Arab.”

Baghdad and Ankara signed the executive document of their water-cooperation framework on November 2, 2025. The agreement grants Turkiye a five-year mandate to manage rapid water releases and related infrastructure and includes a commitment to supply Iraq with about one billion cubic meters of water to help ease severe shortages.

Read more: Oil for Water: Iraq bets on new Turkiye deal to ease drought crisis