ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The water flow of the Little Zab river northeast of the Kurdistan Region has decreased by 75 percent due to low rainfall and the decline is affecting more than 7,000 dunams of farmland in the Raparin administration, a local official said on Monday.
Sparda Mohammed, the head of the Raparin administration's water resources directorate, told Rudaw that “the water level is in a worse condition than last year. “There has been less rainfall this year. Last year, the flow rate of the Little Zab River was 130 cubic meters per second at one point, but is now less than 36 cubic meters per second,” she explained.
She attributed the decrease in water levels to both low rainfall and “the diversion of the river water by Iran along with the construction of the Sardasht Dam, east of Kurdistan."
The reduced rainfall has led to a 75 percent decline in the Little Zab river’s water, Mohammed says, noting that to address this issue and the threat of water scarcity, “We need to build a dam on the Little Zab River.”
There are more than 4.5 million dunams of farmland in the Raparin administration. The Sangasar irrigation project in the area, which relies on local water sources, covers nearly 10,000 dunams. Currently, around 80 percent of the project’s water has decreased, affecting 8,000 dunams of land.
Mohammed said that they plan to inform farmers and relevant authorities about the risks of the current water management and advise them not to plant crops that require a lot of water.
On dam and pond construction, Mohammed said, “We have several suitable locations for building dams and ponds. Within the Raparin region, “there are four potential dam sites and ten for ponds that are feasible for development,” she explained.
One of the major factors contributing to the water crisis is illegal and unlicensed wells, according to the head of Raparin administration’s water resources directorate.
Mohammed notes that the area has 890 licensed artesian wells, 520 of which are used for drinking water. The rest are used for agriculture and private purposes.
She added that the directorate she heads estimates that more than 5,000 unlicensed shallow wells exist, adding that the current groundwater levels are similar to last year, but officials expect a drop of about 10 meters this year.
Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable to climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. It is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste mismanagement.
Scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius were recorded in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in 2023, coupled with water scarcity, desertification, and reduced rainfall.
The World Resources Institute places Iraq among 25 countries that face extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought.
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