Euphrates flow into Iraq from Syria quadruples, water ministry says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources said the volume of Euphrates River water entering the country from Syria has risen to 680 cubic meters per second, roughly four times the 151 cubic meters per second recorded during the same period last year. Ministry spokesman Khalid Shimal, who also serves as director general for general irrigation and reclamation projects, said water released from the Haditha Dam toward central Euphrates cities is currently around 500 cubic meters per second, with an additional 180 cubic meters per second being stored in the dam's reservoir. The reservoir currently holds 4.8 billion cubic meters, leaving approximately 3.4 billion cubic meters of additional storage capacity. Shimal said water flows on the Euphrates depend on rainfall, temperature and operational practices in Turkey and Syria. He noted that Iraq has existing agreements with neighboring countries on water sharing, and that the flow crossing the Turkish-Syrian border should not fall below 500 cubic meters per second, with 58 percent allocated to Iraq and 42 percent to Syria. The official added that current volumes remain below the target needed to refill Lake Habbaniyah, and said the ministry is working to ensure fair water distribution to all cities across the Euphrates basin.