Mosul Dam holding strong despite Iraq’s worsening water crisis

Shafaq News – Nineveh

Mosul Dam in northern Iraq remains “in good condition” despite climate challenges, desertification, and declining rainfall, Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader al-Dakhil affirmed on Thursday.

In remarks to Shafaq News, al-Dakhil praised the dam’s management for releasing more water than it has received from upstream, stressing the local government’s commitment to supporting the dam’s operations through the summer and to developing strategic plans to safeguard water security.

The governor urged nationwide awareness campaigns to curb high per capita consumption, calling on citizens to protect what he described as a vital resource.

Iraq’s reserves, once at 21 billion cubic meters, have fallen by more than half in a single year. The drop is driven by climate extremes, mismanagement, and reduced river inflows from upstream countries. Water Resources Minister Aoun Diab recently appealed to Turkiye to increase releases, calling this Iraq’s “most severe” water crisis in decades. He cited low rainfall and continued upstream restrictions despite a recent agreement to boost flows into the Tigris and Euphrates.