ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several of Iraq's major reservoirs have reached up to 80 percent of their storage capacity as a large surge of water flowing from Turkey through Syria reaches the country, a development expected to significantly raise water levels in the Euphrates River, the Iraqi Water Resources Ministry told Rudaw on Thursday.
Reservoirs including Mosul, Dukan, Darbandikhan, Adhaim, and Hamrin have seen substantial increases in water levels, with some now 80 percent full, ministry spokesperson Khalid Shimal said.
The wave of water that flowed from Turkey into Syria in recent days measured 1,800 cubic meters per second, Shimal said, adding that the flow reaching the Iraq-Syria border currently stands at 1,450 cubic meters per second.
He noted that the volume is expected to increase slightly over the next two days before stabilizing, a development that will have a "major impact" on raising water levels in the Euphrates River.
In late May, Turkey announced it had opened the gates of the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates River for the first time in seven years after heavy winter and spring rainfall brought the reservoir close to full capacity.
The move triggered flooding in northern and eastern Syria, displacing thousands of people and prompting authorities to issue repeated warnings about rising water levels along the Euphrates.
Syrian Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said last week that around 2,400 families had been affected by the flooding.
Shimal said Iraq's strategic water reserves have increased sixfold since before the winter season, rising from less than five billion cubic meters to around 30 billion cubic meters.
"This is a very good volume for getting through the summer season without any issues," he said.
Despite the rise in water levels, Shimal stressed that none of Iraq's reservoirs have reached dangerous flood levels or maximum capacity.
"None of our dams have reached the flood danger phase or full capacity, as we fill the dams according to a schedule and plan to ensure their safety is maintained," he said.
The ministry also plans to reduce reliance on groundwater this year due to improved surface water availability.
"We will rely more heavily on rivers and dams for our agricultural plans and drinking water supply this year," Shimal said.
Iraq, a downstream country on the Euphrates River, has long faced water shortages due to reduced inflows caused by upstream dam projects in Turkey and Syria.
This year, however, abundant rainfall and snowmelt have significantly improved water conditions across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Malik Mohammed contributed to this article.
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