Iraq Faces Worst Drought in 92 Years

Horgir Ahmed/PUKMEDIA

Land dried up due to drought.

Iraq is currently experiencing its most severe drought in nearly a century, with officials describing 2025 as the driest year since 1933. The acute water shortage is impacting both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with alarming drops in water levels across rivers, dams, and reservoirs.

A spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources, Khalid Shamal, attributed the crisis to a significant decrease in rainfall and reduced water recourses from neighbouring upstream countries—primarily Türkiye and Iran, and to a lesser extent Syria.

“This year is one of the driest Iraq has experienced, and the crisis has not reached such a level since 1933,” Shamal said. He noted that water inflows into the Tigris and Euphrates river basins have declined by 27% compared to last year. "Currently, water stored in dams and reservoirs amounts to only 8% of total storage capacity, representing a 57% decrease from the previous year."

The situation is especially dire in Iraq’s southern provinces. Luay Mukhtar, spokesperson for Iraq's Ministry of Environment, stated: “Southern provinces such as Basra, Maysan and Dhi Qar have been hardest hit by climate change. Most of their rivers have completely dried up.”

The Kurdistan Region is also feeling the effects of the prolonged drought. Several waterfalls, canals, and natural water sources have dried up due to insufficient rainfall. Authorities have confirmed a significant drop in water levels at both Dukan and Darbandikhan dams compared to previous years, raising concerns over water availability and agricultural viability in the region.



PUKMEDIA