Shafaq News – Ankara / Basra

On Monday, Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani discussed with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in Ankara, water releases from shared rivers between Iraq and Turkiye, amid growing concerns over water scarcity impacting Basra and the country at large.

According to a statement from the Basra Governor’s media office, the meeting focused on the management of water flows from transboundary rivers—especially the Tigris and Euphrates—under increasingly difficult conditions driven by regional drought and climate change.

The discussions also emphasized the negative impact of reduced water releases on agriculture and water availability in Basra, warning that "ongoing shortages threaten the sustainability of daily life for residents in the southern Iraqi province."

Turkiye had announced a partial increase in water flows in July, raising the rate on the Tigris River to 420 cubic meters per second following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani.

A technical source at the Mosul Dam told Shafaq News that outflows into the Tigris River have been increased to 350 cubic meters per second, noting that “inflows from Turkiye have slightly improved but remain below the levels stipulated in the strategic agreement between the two countries.”

Earlier, the European Union announced the allocation of €1.1M in emergency humanitarian aid to address the worsening water crisis in Basra.

Basra’s water crisis, the worst since 2018, has been fueled by multiple factors, including reduced flow from the Euphrates before it reaches the city, declining levels of the Tigris due to drought, and extensive upstream water usage.