Iraq is in a critical situation as the Mosul Dam approaches its “dead reservoir.”

Water expert and former director of the Mosul Dam, Riyad Ezz El-Din Al-Naimi, warned on Monday of the seriousness of the water situation in Iraq in general, and the Mosul Dam in particular.

According to Al-Naimi, who spoke to Shafaq News Agency, “The water levels in the dam have reached very low levels, approaching ‘dead storage,’ which is unprecedented in more than fifty years.”

He explained that Iraq is experiencing an unprecedented water crisis in over 100 years, due to the lack of rainfall, the scarcity of water imports from Turkey, and the effects of climate change. He noted that the current water reserves in the Mosul Dam do not meet even the minimum needs.

Al-Naimi emphasized that Iraq’s negotiating partner is strong and intelligent, which requires a more assertive negotiating stance from the Iraqi government and the Ministry of Water Resources. He believed that the continued decline in water imports would place the country in a very difficult water crisis, particularly in the Tigris River and the eastern regions.

Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, revealed on Sunday that Iraq has requested that Turkey increase water flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by one billion cubic meters per second for October and November, at a rate of 500 m³/s for each river, to improve water revenues over the next fifty days.

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani revealed an imminent agreement with Türkiye to build dams and address the water crisis, while attacking “false mongers” seeking to achieve partisan gains.

On Friday, October 10, a joint official meeting was held in Ankara between delegations from the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Turkey to discuss the water issue and enhance bilateral cooperation in this vital field, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

Shafaq.com