BAGHDAD, 26th May, 2025 (WAM) -- Iraq’s water reserves have fallen to their lowest in 80 years due to a dry rainy season and a significant drop in inflows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a government official said on Sunday.
Khaled Shamal, Iraqi Spokesperson for the Water Resources Ministry, said that the country is entering the summer with only around 10 billion cubic metres of water, well below the 18 billion cubic metres typically required.
“Last year our strategic reserves were better. It was double what we have now,” Shamal said, adding, “We haven’t seen such a low reserve in 80 years.”
Iraq currently receives less than 40 percent of its share from the Tigris and Euphrates, he noted.
Shamal added that sparse rainfall this winter and low water levels from melting snow have worsened the situation in Iraq.