Iraq
Torhan al-Mufti, advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq, speaking to Rudaw at the Erbil Forum on February 27, 2025. Photo: Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq on water stated on Thursday that Iraq is among the top 15 most impacted countries globally by climate change but hoped that the country will have sufficient water resources this year.
Speaking to Rudaw on the sidelines of the Erbil Forum 2025, Torhan al-Mufti, said that while regional countries are bearing the brunt of climate change, its impact on Iraq is “greater than in other countries.”
Despite Iraq being “one of the 15 countries most affected by climate change,” Mufti noted that water releases from neighboring countries “have increased compared to previous years,” with releases into the Tigris River now “twice as they were in past years.”
He also highlighted that Baghdad “lacks a clear agreement with neighboring countries,” namely Iran and Turkey, “regarding water distribution.”
Iraq’s water mainly comes from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, with 75 percent sourced from neighboring Iran and Turkey, and 20 to 25 percent from internal sources. While Iran affects water flow through rivers like the Karun and Karkheh, Turkey controls the headwaters via dams like the Ataturk Dam. Iraq lacks a comprehensive water-sharing agreement with both countries.
Accordingly, water scarcity is a critical issue in Iraq, threatening all aspects of society. According to the United Nations Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO-6), Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country globally to reduced water availability and extreme temperatures, based on data from 2020–2021.
While anticipating that “the region and Iraq, in general, will still face a water shortage,” the prime minister’s advisor hoped that “things will improve in spring,” when “water resources are typically peak due to the “thawing of snow” in the Kurdistan Region, Iran, and Turkey.
Earlier in the day, Mufti participated in the Erbil Forum 2025’s panel on climate change and its impact on human rights violations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
During the panel, Mufti explained that “Iraq is not at drought levels, but is close due to water scarcity,” stressing that “75 percent of its water comes from neighboring upstream countries” while only “20 to 25 percent is from within Iraq.”
Mufti highlighted “the importance of water conservation” by citizens, explaining that 15 percent of the country’s water resources are used domestically and 85 percent is allocated for agriculture. He additionally explained that current dams in Iraq are sufficient, with capacity for 170 billion cubic meters of water, and there is no need to build more.
The three-day Erbil Forum 2025, organized by Rudaw Research Center, is taking place at the Rotana Hotel in the Kurdistan Region’s capital. The event features speeches, interviews, and panel discussions focusing on key regional and global political issues.
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