Rains boost Iraq’s water reserves, raising hopes for amber rice season

BAGHDAD — Recent rainfall has increased Iraq’s water reserves and set the stage for a favorable amber rice planting season this summer, a member of parliament said Saturday.

Faleh al-Khazali told the Iraqi News Agency that the Ministry of Water Resources effectively managed recent flooding and stored water in dams for summer use. He called on the federal government to begin negotiations with Turkey to secure a fair share of water flows and to support ministry projects given their growing importance.

Amber rice, traditionally planted in June and harvested in October, is prized for its aromatic quality and is a staple of Iraqi celebrations. The word “amber” in Iraqi dialect refers to any sweet-smelling fragrance.

The comments follow the Water Resources Ministry’s announcement that recent storms boosted Iraq’s strategic water reserves by about 6 billion cubic meters, with inflows to the Tigris, Euphrates and Diyala rivers raising storage levels in dams and reservoirs across the country — a significant turnaround after authorities said reserves had dropped to their lowest levels in roughly 80 years in 2025 due to prolonged drought and reduced upstream flows from Turkey and Iran.