Euphrates Dam faces shutdown, threatening millions in Syria

The Euphrates Dam is nearing a complete halt in operations due to Turkey’s continued restriction of the Euphrates River’s flow, preventing water from reaching Syrian and Iraqi territories. The energy authority in NE  Syria is depleting the dam’s lake to meet essential needs, pushing the region toward an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with far-reaching impacts on all aspects of life for the Euphrates Basin’s residents.

 Imad Al-Obeid, the administrator at the Dam Management Authority in NE Syria, explained that the Euphrates Lake is witnessing an unprecedented drop in water levels due to a significant reduction in water inflow from Turkey. The inflow has decreased to about 250 cubic meters per second, compared to the normal 500 cubic meters per second.

Al-Obeid noted that the current inflow is largely lost, with evaporation alone accounting for 80 cubic meters per second. Additionally, the Khafsa and Babiri stations draw about 70 cubic meters per second to irrigate Aleppo and its countryside, while the Balikh Canal’s irrigation intakes consume another 70 cubic meters per second.

The Euphrates Lake has a storage capacity of 14 billion cubic meters, with a maximum water level of 304 meters under normal conditions.

 In 1987, Syria signed a temporary agreement with Turkey during the filling of the Atatürk Dam, in which Turkey committed to releasing at least 500 cubic meters per second at the Syrian border. Additionally, in 1989, Syria and Iraq signed an agreement allocating 42% of the water to Syria (627.6 billion cubic meters annually) and 58% to Iraq (106.9 billion cubic meters annually).

Euphrates Dam Nears "Dead Level"

 Al-Obeid further explained that the Euphrates Lake has lost over 7 meters of its water level, reaching a critical stage. He noted that 80% of the lake’s strategic reserve has been consumed, bringing the dam dangerously close to the "dead level," which would result in a complete operational shutdown. The Euphrates Dam is a critical energy source for NE Syria, with a normal production capacity of 880 megawatts through eight generating units, each producing 110 megawatts.

However, the declining water levels have slashed production to 440 megawatts, half its capacity, and it is heading toward a complete halt.

Majid Al-Abdo, the Co-Chair of the Energy Authority in Tabqa, stated that the reduced water flow in the Euphrates River has led to fewer operating hours for electricity generation. He added that the Energy Authority, in coordination with the Dam Management Authority, has implemented strategic plans to preserve the lake’s water level as much as possible, limiting operations to the bare minimum.

 Al-Abdo noted that at the start of the year, electricity was supplied for 16 hours daily. However, with the continued decline in water inflow, this has dropped below 10 hours. If the situation persists, electricity supply could fall below 4 hours daily in the near future.

The Energy Authority of the Autonomous Administration had reached an understanding with the Ministry of Energy of the Syrian Transitional Government to enhance cooperation in the energy sector, protect the Euphrates Dam, and secure the region’s needs, but this agreement has not yet been implemented, amid critical conditions requiring urgent intervention to avert a catastrophe.

In the agricultural sector, Ahmed Al-Abd, the Co-Chair of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee in Tabqa, confirmed that the severe shortage of Euphrates River water has led to vast areas of agricultural land becoming unusable and the death of large numbers of livestock (cows and sheep) due to water scarcity. This has caused significant changes in farmers’ lives, triggering waves of internal and external migration.

Al-Abd added that over 60% of irrigated agricultural land dependent on the Euphrates River has been damaged, and groundwater and crops irrigated by it have also been affected. He noted that water pumping projects, which previously operated 24 hours a day, are now limited to 12 hours, with expectations of further reduction to 6 hours soon.

He pointed out that this sharp decline in water availability has coincided with poor climatic conditions, negatively impacting crop production and threatening the failure of the summer agricultural season.

On May 24, Iraq’s Minister of Water Resources, Awn Abdullah, announced an agreement with Turkey to restore the Euphrates River’s flow to the previously agreed level of 500 cubic meters per second. However, Turkey has not adhered to this agreement, amid complete silence from the Syrian Transitional Government, ignoring a catastrophe threatening the lives of millions of Syrians.

a.k

ANHA