A wave of heavy rain that has persisted in Iraq for the past two days has caused flash floods, resulting in fatalities and property damage in several areas, while also raising hopes of replenishing water reserves that had reached critically low levels due to consecutive droughts.
In the north, floods on Tuesday claimed the lives of three people, and on Wednesday, part of a major bridge connecting northern Iraq to Baghdad collapsed, according to multiple sources.
Ali Radi Thamer, Director-General of Dams and Reservoirs at the Ministry of Water Resources, told AFP that the “rains and floods will help increase water storage” in dams, which had dropped to less than seven percent of their total capacity in recent months.
“We hope that current rainfall will raise the water levels to acceptable rates,” he added, noting that inflows will remain limited and Iraq still needs a full rainy season to offset the significant deficit.
The Ministry of Water Resources plans to direct rain and floodwaters to strengthen dam storage, revive the marshes, and reduce salinity levels in rivers in southern Iraq.
Iraq is among the countries most affected by climate change, enduring severe drought in recent years, with low rainfall and rising temperatures. Decades of wars and crises have also damaged infrastructure and weakened water management policies.
Rahman Khani, Director-General of Dams in northern Kurdistan, where floods affected several areas, told AFP that “water levels in dams have risen significantly,” noting that water in Derbendikhan Dam increased by 1.5 meters over the past two days, while Dukan Dam rose by 70 centimeters.
In the town of Jamjamal near Sulaymaniyah, the second-largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, flash floods on Tuesday killed two people, a woman and an elderly man, according to the regional Health Minister Saman Bazzanji.
In Kirkuk province, Lailan subdistrict director Mohammad Weis reported that a young girl was swept away by floodwaters near her home on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, floods caused part of a major bridge in Tuz Khurmatu, linking Kirkuk to Baghdad, to collapse, local authorities and an AFP correspondent reported.
In the southern city of Hillah, AFP correspondents reported on Wednesday that streets were flooded and homes were inundated, highlighting the lack of adequate drainage infrastructure to handle heavy rainfall.
In addition to climate change, Baghdad also blames neighboring Turkey and Iran for building dams that have significantly reduced water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers upon entering Iraqi territory.
