North Syria dam at risk of shutdown due to Turkish water cuts – AANES
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) warned on Wednesday that the Euphrates Dam in northern Syria could go out of service within a month due to a severe drought and critically low water inflows from Turkey.
In an official statement, the AANES said that the Tishrin Dam had already gone out of service in recent months due to conflict-related damage, adding that Syria is currently receiving only about 250 cubic meters of water per second—intended to cover both Syrian and Iraqi shares—well below agreed-upon quotas.
The statement noted that this year’s exceptional drought, coupled with increased evaporation from reservoir lakes, has placed enormous pressure on Lake Euphrates. Its water level has now dropped to approximately 298 meters above sea level, far below the normal level of 304 meters.
To manage the crisis, the AANES has reduced electricity generation by 40 percent and imposed stringent controls on water discharge from the Euphrates Dam in an effort to preserve the strategic reserve. The lake has lost more than 4 billion cubic meters of water, with the water level falling by over five vertical meters.
The AANES called on the Syrian transitional government in Damascus to intervene through official diplomatic channels and to pressure Turkey to resume the release of water in accordance with established agreements. These agreements, signed between Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, stipulate a minimum flow of 500 cubic meters per second into Syrian territory.
It also urged the government to secure alternative energy sources to ease the load on the Euphrates dams—proposing that electricity be routed from thermal power plants in central Syria to reduce dependency on hydroelectric generation.
Additionally, the AANES recommended reconnecting the Tishrin Dam to the national power grid, especially in coordination with the Euphrates Dam, to further conserve water for essential needs.