Water salinity drops in Iraq’s Basra

Shafaq News- Basra

Water salinity levels declined across southern Iraq’s Basra province compared with last year, with total dissolved solids (TDS) in the provincial center falling to 5,100 from 14,420, the local Directorate of Water Resources said on Friday.

According to an official document, total dissolved solids (TDS) at the Tigris River in Al-Qurnah fell to 1,020, down from 1,300 in 2025. The Euphrates River in Al-Madinah declined to 1,420 from 1,540, while Al-Dair recorded 1,255, compared with 1,565 last year. Salinity at Kutayban also dropped sharply to 2,510 from 5,700.

Elsewhere, TDS levels in Abu Al-Khasib recorded 5,600, down from 17,400, while Saihan fell to 17,430 from 29,400, reflecting a marked decline in levels recorded at the province's monitoring stations.

The province has faced severe water salinity for years, with supplies at times becoming unsuitable even for household use, according to data obtained by Shafaq News. The crisis was driven by prolonged drought between 2020 and 2025, declining rainfall, and reduced water flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from upstream countries, allowing saltwater from the Gulf to advance further inland toward the city.

Read more: Basra’s lifeline poisoned: Salinity and pollution threaten Iraq’s south