ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources said Monday that Turkey has agreed to increase water flow to Iraq, but it will take several days for the additional water to reach the country.

 

Ministry spokesperson Khaled Shamal told The New Region that Iraq depends heavily on neighboring countries for water, especially Turkey, which supplies nearly 70 percent of Iraq’s water needs.

 

“There was an agreement between Iraq and Turkey to increase water releases,” Shamal said. “Turkey has increased the flow to 420 cubic meters per second. However, due to the distance, the water still hasn’t reached Iraq and will take a few more days.”

 

The extra water will be received at the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River and at the Haditha Dam on the Euphrates River.

 

Shamal said Iraq hopes to boost its water reserves, which have been severely depleted over the past three years due to drought.

 

He added that the increased flow will help raise water levels in both rivers and meet the country's agricultural and drinking water needs.

 

Last week, Turkish news outlet Türkiye Today reported that Ankara’s move is a temporary measure and does not solve Iraq’s long-term water problems. The report described Iraq as a “drought-stricken country” facing one of its worst water crises in decades.

 

The report noted that lower rainfall, high temperatures, and upstream dam construction have reduced the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As a result, Iraq is suffering from dried-up marshes, water shortages in the south, and increased salinity in the Shatt al-Arab waterway near Basra.