PM Barzani calls on Baghdad to help dam construction

ERBIL, Kurdistan - Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday called on the Iraqi government to help in the renovation and construction of dams inside the Kurdistan Region as he laid the foundation of a new dam on the outskirts of Erbil. 

Barzani attended the ceremony of laying the foundation of Bastora dam on the outskirts of Erbil, the project aims to boost the Region’s sector of agriculture, tourism, energy, and combat water scarcity according to the prime minister.

“We expect the federal government to assist the KRG in the renovation and construction of these dams and the new ones in our [government’s] program,” Barzani said, adding that the dams are not only beneficial for Kurdistan Region but also to all the other regions of Iraq. 

“Dams such as Dukan and Darbandikhan have benefitted the other parts of Iraq too,” he said. 

Water scarcity has put Iraq among the countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. The country faces a severe water shortage due to reduced precipitation and higher temperatures and waste and mismanagement. The crisis has deepened by dams upstream in Turkey and Iran that resulted in a significant decrease in the volume of water entering the country.

In June last year, KRG's Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism warned that the underground water level in Erbil has reduced by 500 meters over the past 20 years, according to the ministry's data in order to dig a well with sufficient water supply, in 2003, one would need to dig 200 meters deep into the ground in Erbil, while in 2022, a well has to go as deep as 700 meters. The dam is expected to increase the underground water level in Erbil.

The 30-meter high dam will be built based on local expertise and capabilities according to Barzani, and will be able to retain 20 million cubic meters of water, it is expected to be a boost for drinking water, and irrigation, as well as tourism in Bastora.

Barzani said in a tweet on Saturday that the government is planning to build 11 dams and 42 reservoirs to meet the Region's food security needs.

In May, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said that the federal government is looking into the desalination of seawater as a measure to combat water scarcity during the third Baghdad water conference.

A visit by Sudani to Turkey in March saw measurable success after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to double the water releases in the Tigris River for a period of one month, saying the decision was made “in order to relieve Iraq’s distress.”

A report from the Iraqi Ministry of water resources late last year predicted that unless urgent action is taken to combat the declining water levels, both Tigris and Euphrates rivers will be entirely parched by 2040 due to the heating climate. 

The UN Environment Program (UNEP) has long warned that water availability in Iraq will decrease by around 20 percent by 2025, threatening the long-term stability of agriculture and industry sectors. 

Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN.