Rising water damage tourism sites in the Kurdistan Region’s Al-Sulaymaniyah

2026-03-23 - 13:01

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah Several unlicensed tourism projects in Darbandikhan district, Al-Sulaymaniyah province, in Iraqi Kurdistan suffered damage after water levels rose at the Darbandikhan Dam. Darbandikhan Tourism Department director Sarkawt Karim told Shafaq News that rainfall over the past 12 hours exceeded 96 mm, prompting dam authorities to open one of the discharge outlets, which led to water reaching areas downstream. He noted that the full extent of the damage has not yet been determined, but water has already entered several of these projects. Rising water levels reached access roads to some tourism complexes, disrupting movement and “licensed projects were not significantly affected due to prior coordination between the tourism authority and dam management to regulate water releases.” Read more: Discover Iraq: Al-Sulaymaniyah, a haven for thinkers, artists, and activists Earlier today, the Kurdish Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources also reported that heavy rains pushed water levels in the Kurdistan Region to record highs, with Dukan and Darbandikhan dams absorbing more than 242 million cubic meters. The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, in its official statement on July 24, warned that 2025 is shaping up to be Iraq’s driest year since 1933. Last year, inflows into the Tigris and Euphrates basins dropped to 27% of last year’s levels, while current reservoir storage stands at only 8% of total capacity. This marks a 57% drop compared to 2024. Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues