ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq is facing one of the worst water shortages in its history, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The crisis is the result of four years of extreme drought and falling water levels in reservoirs across the country.

Khaled Shamal, spokesperson for the ministry, told The New Region on Wednesday that Iraq’s water reserves are now at their lowest point in decades. He said the situation is serious and needs strong efforts from both the government and the public.

“The water crisis is complicated, and Iraq needs help both at home and abroad to manage it,” Shamal said.

He explained that the Iraqi government is trying to address the issue through two approaches. The first is through international cooperation. Iraq is in regular talks with Turkey about water issues and is also discussing the matter with Iran and Syria.

The second approach focuses on internal actions. The government has launched a major campaign to fairly distribute water among the provinces and stop illegal use. Shamal said this effort has helped save more than 80 cubic meters of water per second.

He also said that the government is working on pumping “dead storage” water from Lake Tharthar into the Euphrates River. This could add up to 120 cubic meters of water per second to help reduce the shortage.

Shamal said that talks with neighboring countries are based on shared interests, such as geography, trade, security, and politics. He added that Iraq has many common goals with Turkey, Iran, and Syria, which gives hope for reaching fair agreements.

Water scarcity has been a long-standing and critical issue for Iraq, exacerbated by upstream dams constructed by Turkey along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These dams have significantly reduced water flow into Iraq, intensifying the country’s existing water shortages.