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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian authorities warned residents in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces on Monday of possible flooding along the Euphrates River after water levels recently surged to their highest point in decades, prompting evacuations and emergency measures in several areas.
Haitham Bakur, General Director of the Euphrates Dam, said on Monday the Euphrates River is witnessing “unprecedented” water quantities not seen in more than 30 years, warning that water levels could rise by more than two to three meters in some areas.
“The Euphrates Dam General Directorate manages water resources in the Euphrates River from the moment it enters Syrian territory until it exits the country,” Bakur told Syria’s state-run SANA agency. He explained that the river flow is controlled through a chain of dams, including the Tishreen Dam and the Euphrates Dam, by operating hydroelectric turbines and opening spillway gates when reservoir levels reach maximum capacity.
Bakur urged residents living near the riverbanks in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor to avoid approaching the river and refrain from swimming, warning that the rising water levels pose risks to people living in informal settlements and buildings constructed illegally near the riverbed.
He also warned of possible damage to makeshift earthen dams and barriers built in recent years after older structures were destroyed during years of conflict.
The Syrian civil defense authority said river levels could rise by more than two meters after water discharge from the Euphrates Dam was increased to 1,500 cubic meters per second. Authorities called on residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, suspend the use of boats and ferries, and avoid crossing temporary earthen bridges.
The Syrian energy ministry said three spillway gates at the Euphrates Dam were opened for the first time in over 30 years in an effort to protect the dam and maintain electricity production stability.
In eastern Aleppo province, civil defense teams evacuated six families from a camp in the city of Jarablus on Friday after floodwaters surrounded tents near the Euphrates River.
Abdul Jabbar al-Jumaa, director of the Jarablus Civil Defense Center, told SANA that emergency teams transferred the families to safer locations after water levels rose around the camp.
The Euphrates River, one of Syria’s main water sources, originates in Turkey and flows through Syria into Iraq. Water levels in the river have long been a sensitive issue between Ankara and downstream countries Syria and Iraq, especially during periods of drought and fluctuating Turkish water releases.