The Dukan Dam water shortage is reaching a critical level in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, putting millions at risk of severe water cuts. Dry weather, climate change, and dams upstream have drained the lake, leaving communities with tighter water rationing and dried-out farmland.
The Dukan Dam reservoir, built more than 70 years ago, now holds only 1.6 billion cubic meters of water. That’s just 24 percent of its full capacity of seven billion. Kochar Jamal Tawfeeq, the dam’s director, said it hasn’t been this low in two decades.
Satellite photos show the lake’s surface shrinking by over half since 2019. Deep cracks now line the banks, exposing the dry bottom of the once-massive lake.
Tawfeeq explained that the rainfall this year dropped to just 220 millimeters. Normally, the area gets around 600 millimeters during the same season. The Dukan Dam water shortage is also made worse by new dams on the Little Zab River in Iran. That river feeds into the Dukan reservoir.
Iraq has blamed both Iran and Turkey for reducing river flows into its territory. These cutbacks have impacted the Tigris and Euphrates, Iraq’s main water sources.
In the village of Sarsian near Dukan, 57-year-old farmer Hussein Khader Sheikhah lost his wheat crop after planting 13 hectares in winter. He said the drought ruined his fields, and he couldn’t recover the $5,700 he invested.
He’s now trying to grow crops like cucumbers and beans on one small hectare close to the river. But he says it’s not enough to replace the lost harvest.
The Dukan Dam water shortage has already hurt nearly four million people in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk. as well as Water supply plants in Kirkuk saw a 40 percent drop in the water they received.
Zaki Karim, a local water official, said they’ve had to apply stricter rationing. Authorities are also trying to stop illegal water usage and teach people to waste less.
Even in normal times, Iraq’s water service is limited. Now, with fewer water deliveries, people face longer wait times and reduced access.
Iraq is one of the countries most affected by climate change. It faces heatwaves, droughts, and shrinking rivers year after year. Now, its water storage is at its lowest level in 80 years.