Kurdistan confronts water security pressures amid climate volatility

Shafaq News/ Water security in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region has emerged as a growing concern in 2024 and early 2025, as erratic rainfall and climate-induced hydrological stress threaten to undermine both agriculture and public consumption. Yet amid these mounting pressures, the Region’s dam infrastructure has seen noteworthy improvements, driven by increased government investment and reservoir management reforms.

The Region’s leading dams — Dukan, Darbandikhan, and Duhok — continue to anchor its water supply network, with officials stressing that current storage levels, while lower than historic averages, remain sufficient for essential needs.

The Kurdistan Region currently operates 21 dams, two of which — Dukan and Darbandikhan — are also used to generate electricity for several areas.

“The water storage in these dams is still adequate to meet core demands, even though this year’s water resources are markedly lower than in previous years,” Rahman Khani, Director General of Dams in the Kurdistan Region, told Shafaq News.

Khani emphasized that authorities had revised the 2025 water management strategy to prioritize drinking water over agriculture, focusing only on “the most necessary projects” under the current constraints.

2024: A Year of Hydrological Recovery

Despite early 2025’s subdued rainfall — just 188 mm recorded so far, approximately one-third of 2024’s total — the previous year offered much-needed relief after a string of dry seasons.

The Dukan Dam, Kurdistan’s largest, received around 650 million cubic meters of inflow in 2024, marking a significant rise over prior years. By June, water levels had climbed five meters year-on-year, bringing the dam to 57% of its total capacity.

“Dukan Dam is a critical water source for these areas, playing an essential role in safeguarding their water security,” said Kucher Jamal, Director General of Dukan Dam, noting its supply reach across Sulaymaniyah, Rania, Kirkuk, and Tuz Khurmatu.

In Darbandikhan, located on the Sirwan River, the situation was even more promising. By May 2024, the dam was just 25 centimeters shy of reaching full capacity — the highest level seen since 2019. This milestone not only boosted northern Iraq’s water reserves but also enabled daily releases of up to 90 million cubic meters to the southern provinces, while sustaining local hydropower generation, Shafaq News reported.

The Duhok Dam in the northern part of the Region likewise benefited from seasonal rainfall and improved management practices, with stored volumes doubling year-on-year to 40 million cubic meters by late 2024.

Infrastructure Push: New Dams and Rehabilitation

The relative hydrological recovery of 2024 has been paralleled by an assertive infrastructure campaign led by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In 2023, the KRG reported the activation of six new dams as part of its drought resilience plan. These included small-to-medium-sized projects aimed at capturing seasonal runoff and reducing dependency on transboundary water sources.

A major highlight of 2024 was the near completion of the Daratu Dam in Erbil Province, which by September was 80% finished. With a modest capacity of 350,000 cubic meters, the dam’s primary function is flood mitigation and localized irrigation.

Furthermore, the KRG earmarked 1.2 billion Iraqi dinars in 2024 for the rehabilitation of 11 existing dams — an initiative reflecting both the growing recognition of water stress and the institutional will to address it.

During the inauguration of the Chamrga Dam in Erbil’s Qushtapa district in June 2024, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the multipurpose utility of dam construction. He cited flood control, agricultural expansion, tourism, and renewable energy development as key benefits, alongside reducing reliance on rapidly depleting groundwater reserves.

Persistent Challenges and Geopolitical Risks

Despite the gains of 2024, Kurdistan’s water future remains far from secure. Climate models suggest that water availability across Iraq could fall by 20% by 2025, according to projections cited by the United Nations Environment Programme. The implications for agriculture, urban development, and industry are profound — particularly in the landlocked, mountainous north where water security is more sensitive to both climate fluctuations and upstream controls.

Tensions over water sharing with upstream states like Turkiye and Iran continue to shadow Iraq’s overall water strategy. Unilateral damming on the Tigris and Euphrates tributaries has increasingly limited flow volumes entering Iraq, exacerbating the country’s water deficit.

Recognizing these threats, the KRG has expanded coordination with Baghdad to advocate for a unified federal approach to water diplomacy. Negotiations with the Iraqi Parliament and the Ministry of Water Resources have focused on legal frameworks, reservoir management policies, and transboundary dialogue. Technical committees and joint delegations were active throughout 2024, although concrete outcomes remain limited.

As 2025 unfolds, authorities in the Kurdistan Region remain cautiously optimistic, “We are focusing our efforts on balancing drinking water needs with strategic infrastructure projects,” Khani reiterated to Shafaq News. “It’s a matter of sustainability, not just survival.”