Iraq to construct six dams with Turkey and 13 rainwater harvesting barriers

The Mosul Dam hydroelectric power plant. Photo: Iraqi Electricity Ministry Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources revealed plans on Sunday, October 25, 2026, to construct six new dams under the bilateral framework agreement with Turkey, while advancing technical designs and assessments for 13 additional rainwater and seasonal flood harvesting barriers across several governorates to bolster strategic water reserves, support agriculture, and combat desertification. According to statements delivered to the official newspaper by Ministry Spokesperson and Director General of the General Authority for Irrigation and Reclamation Projects, Khaled Shamal, technical blueprints have been finalized for three dams under the first package of the Turkish framework agreement, preparing them for on-ground execution by Turkish contractors. The three initial structures comprise the Kharaz Dam in Al-Muthanna Governorate, the Al-Abyad Dam in Ain Al-Tamr in Karbala Governorate, and the Abu Takiya Dam in Nineveh Governorate, with site evaluations underway for an additional three dams proposed under a secondary implementation package. In parallel with the Turkish cooperation framework, Shamal detailed progress on domestic water harvesting infrastructure designed to capture torrential flash floods and surface runoffs. Technical engineering designs are complete for five submerged check dams in Nineveh Governorate—Sheikh Bakr 1 and 2, Ain Alaq, Ain Ba’shiqa, and Ain Bahzani—with active construction already launched at two sites. An additional eight water barriers are undergoing hydrologic surveys and final design studies, distributed across Nineveh (3 dams), Najaf (2 dams), Al-Muthanna (2 dams), and Diyala (1 dam), providing vital localized water reserves to support nomadic resettlement, pastoral communities, and regional land reclamation initiatives.