Kurdistan Region’s Duhok Dam water level rises despite rainfall drop

2026-02-10T19:54:29+00:00

Shafaq News- Duhok

Rainfall around Duhok Dam, northern Kurdistan Region of Iraq, recorded 360 millimeters this year, down from 504 millimeters last year, while the reservoir’s water level has risen by more than 1.5 meters, a local official told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

In an interview with Shafaq News, Duhok Dam Director Farhad Mohammed Taher said that the water volume in the dam’s reservoir increased by more than 4 million cubic meters, and that the lake’s total capacity stands at 52 million cubic meters, while current storage is estimated at around 32 million cubic meters. He added that dam authorities expect the water level to rise further if rainfall continues at current rates. “For now, water levels have risen to more than 60% of capacity, amid a notable increase in rainfall.”

Regarding Khinnis Dam in the Sheikhan district east of Duhok, Taher stated water has been flowing into the reservoir for more than 10 days, and its storage capacity is about 7 million cubic meters. He also pointed out that the Khinnis Dam area has recorded heavy rainfall of nearly 750 millimeters, leading to a marked rise in the dam’s water level and the level of the river supplying it.

On Monday, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab Abdullah indicated that the country is experiencing its “most severe years of drought,” citing climate change and dams built by Turkiye at the sources of major rivers.