Iraq to construct 36 rainwater dams to confront drought
The Darbandikhan Dam in north-eastern Iraq after the water level has fallen by 7.5 meters in one year. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The authorities in Iraq intend to build new dams to benefit from rainwater in light of the danger of drought threatening the Tigris and Euphrates rivers due to a lack of water releases and the effects of climate change.
The Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab, mentioned on Sunday that the ministry intends to build 36 dams in 2024 after completing the required studies and designs, according to Al-Sabaah, the official newspaper of Iraq.
“These dams will be built in different governorates in the country to hold rainwater and store it during the summer,” Diab illustrated.
The Iraqi Minister of Water Resources explained that after four years of drought, Iraq will witness early rainfall during the coming fall and winter seasons, adding that this will help secure enough water reserves for drinking and agriculture.
Diab confirmed that the government will start the construction of a dam near the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq and another dam in the western desert.
The Iraqi efforts to increase the number of dams come to confront the drought crisis that has struck Mesopotamia for years as a result of the declining water releases from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers coming from Turkey and Iran.