BAGHDAD — Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources revealed plans on Sunday (October 25) to construct six new dams under the bilateral framework agreement with Turkey, while advancing technical work on the package, Iraqi News reported. The announcement is the latest step in the water-cooperation framework the two neighbours sealed in April 2024, during Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Baghdad.
Source: Iraqi News via Hatha Alyoum, Oct 25
Coverage of the ministry's announcement said the initiative also includes 13 rainwater harvesting barriers designed to capture torrential flash floods and surface runoff, sustaining agricultural and pastoral lands and supporting land reclamation. Technical designs have already been finalised for the first three dams, designs have been finalised for five submerged check dams in Nineveh Governorate, eight additional water barriers are undergoing hydrologic surveys, and construction is already active at two domestic rainwater harvesting sites, the coverage said. Turkish contractors are expected to lead execution of the first package of projects under the framework, it added.
Source: WiseVoter summary of the Iraqi News announcement, Oct 25
Oil revenue finances the water projects
Under the implementation mechanism the two countries signed for the framework, water infrastructure projects carried out by Turkish firms are to be financed with revenue from Iraqi oil sales to Turkey, a Turkish official said when the mechanism was signed, Reuters reported. Iraq's government was to establish a committee for water infrastructure projects and invite bids from Turkish companies, and the initial batch expected under the agreement included three water harvesting dam projects and three land reclamation initiatives, an Iraqi water resources official said at the time.
Source: Reuters via SRN News
Why water is the region's hardest file
Scarce water resources in Iraq have long been an issue between the two countries, Reuters noted: around 70% of Iraq's water resources flow from neighbouring countries, especially via the Tigris and the Euphrates, and both rivers flow through Turkey. Baghdad's new barriers are designed to create localised reserves from flash floods and runoff — water that would otherwise be lost — for farming communities in governorates including Nineveh, Al-Muthanna and Karbala, according to coverage of the announcement. No cost figure or completion date for the six dams was given in Sunday's announcement.