Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources announced on Tuesday that the ongoing wave of heavy rainfall and accompanying flash floods represents an important opportunity to strengthen the country’s water reserves, following several seasons of decline caused by drought and reduced inflows.
In a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the ministry said that rainfall levels have exceeded 120 mm in some areas, leading to localized flooding, particularly in northern and northeastern regions. It added that the upper basins of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers — especially the Upper and Lower Zab basins and the Euphrates basin — have been significantly affected, resulting in varying levels of floodwater inflows.
The ministry explained that it is currently directing these flows toward dams and reservoirs to help restore water storage levels, which dropped to record lows in recent years. It emphasized that such rainfall provides a valuable chance to rebalance national water resources and secure irrigation needs across all provinces, especially in the central and southern regions. The rains will also help complete the first irrigation cycle of the current winter farming season, supporting agricultural production and mitigating water scarcity.
According to the statement, the incoming floodwaters are also being used to re-flood the marshes — which had suffered from severely reduced water levels — and to improve the ecological conditions of the Shatt al-Arab, helping push back saltwater intrusion that affects Basra Province.
