ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s water resources ministry on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Syria on the management of shared water resources, particularly the Euphrates, amid rising water levels in the river.

“The Ministry of Water Resources and the Syrian Ministry of Energy signed the minutes of the bilateral Iraqi-Syrian technical meeting regarding cooperation in the management of shared water resources and the exchange of technical data,” read the ministry statement.

The MoU was signed following a meeting between the two sides in Baghdad, chaired by representatives of the two ministries, under the direction of Iraqi Water Resources Minister Muthanna al-Tamimi.

The meeting highlighted prospects for “cooperation with the Syrian side in managing shared water resources, developing mechanisms for coordination and the exchange of technical data and information, particularly concerning the Euphrates River.”

The Euphrates River saw increased water flow from upstream Turkey earlier in June caused by a period of heavy rainfall prompted a devastating rise in river levels in Syria, where floodwaters submerged farms, homes, and IDP camps across Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces.

Authorities have estimated that around 5,000 dunams of land were flooded in Deir ez-Zor and 1,500 dunams in Raqqa.

Iraq’s Civil Defense Directorate consequently stated that it has taken a series of preparatory measures in response to the rising water levels to ensure the protection of residents and key infrastructure.

Iraq has historically struggled with water shortages, with authorities routinely blaming upstream countries, namely Syria and Turkey, for withholding water through dams on the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.

The United Nations has ranked Iraq among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, while authorities have warned that water reserves have fallen to dangerous levels, making conservation and careful management essential.

Following his appointment as water resources minister in May, Tamimi stressed that his ministry will develop relations with upstream Turkey and Iran to secure water releases into Iraq.