Iraq Resumes Work on Al-Masad Dam After 11-Year Halt Amid Water Shortages

Iraq Resumes Work on Al-Masad Dam After 11-Year Halt Amid Water Shortages
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Iraq has resumed construction of the Al-Masad Dam in Rutba, western Anbar province, after an 11-year suspension caused by security concerns. Local officials confirmed that work is progressing steadily under the state-owned Al-Rafidain Company for Dam Construction, with completion expected soon.

Rutba district mayor Imad al-Rishawi stressed the importance of the project in tackling water scarcity, noting that the dam is part of a broader plan by the Ministry of Water Resources to build a network of water-harvesting dams across Anbar and other provinces. Originally launched before 2014, the project aims to store and regulate water supplies in one of Iraq’s driest regions.

Iraq’s network of dams — including Mosul Dam on the Tigris and Haditha Dam on the Euphrates — has historically provided irrigation, hydropower, and flood control. However, no major new dams have been built since the 1980s, leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to climate change and upstream water policies by Turkey and Iran.

Officials warn that Iraq faces its most severe water crisis in decades, with rainfall shortages, declining river inflows, and climate change reducing agricultural land by 30 percent over the past three decades. The UN ranks Iraq among the world’s five most climate-affected countries.