Iraq’s Al-Anbar on alert following surge in Euphrates River levels

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Authorities in western Iraq’s Al-Anbar Province declared a state of full alert on Saturday after water levels in the Euphrates River rose by about 1.5 meters following large releases from Syria’s Tabqa Dam.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Qaim District Commissioner Turki Mohammed said joint service and security teams inspected protective embankments along the river and reinforced vulnerable sections. The measures included strengthening earthen barriers in sensitive areas using heavy machinery provided by the municipalities of Al-Qaim, Anah, and Rawa, while precautionary measures were activated to address any further rise in water levels.

Authorities also increased field deployments in Al-Qaim and the nearby Rumana subdistrict, where previous encroachments on the river basin have heightened concerns over potential flooding. Monitoring and mitigation efforts, Mohammed noted, remain underway around the clock.

The Euphrates rose by nearly three meters and expanded horizontally by as much as 50 meters in parts of eastern Syria, according to the General Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Deir ez-Zor. The flooding displaced residents, inundated homes, disrupted drinking water stations, and triggered warnings of flash floods threatening riverside communities and farmland.

Despite the developments, Iraqi Water Resources Minister Muthanna Al-Tamimi reassured that Iraq can absorb any potential flood wave originating from Syria, stressing that current hydrological indicators do not point to a serious threat along the Euphrates River.