Baghdad: The Green Iraq Observatory revealed that Iraq’s available water reserves will be sufficient only until next August due to high consumption rates. In a statement, the observatory said the rainfall received across the country will not withstand the heavy demand from agriculture and domestic use beyond August, despite earlier forecasts suggesting a wet season similar to 2019, which was an exceptional year of precipitation that allowed Iraq to store and use water for more than two years.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the statement added that Turkey continues to refrain from releasing water flows toward Iraq, describing the position as negative. It noted that a recent phone call between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed various forms of cooperation but did not result in an agreement to release water quantities that could raise the levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, improve water quality, revive the marshlands, and strengthen reserves in dams and artificial lakes.

The observatory stressed the need to reduce excessive agricultural water consumption by adopting modern irrigation methods and maximizing the use of rainfall, warning that inefficient water waste cannot continue.

It also pointed to a pilot project to install smart water meters in selected areas of Baghdad, with plans to expand nationwide to regulate household consumption, alongside expanding modern irrigation technologies such as sprinkler systems, which now cover approximately 3.5 million dunams of farmland.