Lake Habbaniya in Anbar Governorate is moving towards restoring part of its water reserve, with the beginning of increased water inflows according to an operational plan targeting an enhancement of its strategic reserve by about 1.5 billion cubic meters.
Anbar Governor Omar Mushan Dabbous announced in a statement received by the Video News Agency that the plan has started to be implemented, following a call with the Minister of Water Resources, confirming that the increase in the lake's reserve represents an important step to enhance water security and support agricultural and tourism activities in the governorate.
Dabbous pointed out that coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources continues to monitor releases and levels, ensuring the optimal use of water and conservation of the water reserve.
Simultaneously with the increase in inflows, the governor directed the relevant authorities to take precautionary measures in the areas surrounding the lake, especially the Al-Warar Canal, the protective embankments, and the areas close to the Habbaniya basin towards the city of Ramadi, while monitoring the movement of citizens and vehicles and preventing encroachments or tampering with the embankments.
More water... and a revived tourism
In an indication of the direct effect of rising water levels, officials reported an increase in the number of tourists and families visiting the Habbaniya tourist city from various Iraqi governorates, coinciding with the relative improvement in the lake's water level.
The Ministry of Water Resources had announced last August the increase of water releases towards the lake at a rate of 40 cubic meters per second, aiming to compensate for its water shortage, improve the environmental and water situation, and support the surrounding residential areas.
According to officials, Habbaniya city needs continuous water releases reaching one billion cubic meters to restore its activity normally, while the lake requires about 3.5 billion cubic meters to return to its previous levels.
Lake Habbaniya is located between Ramadi and Fallujah, and is considered one of the most prominent domestic tourism destinations in Iraq; however, the decline in water levels and the deterioration of infrastructure in recent years have significantly affected its tourism activity.
With the flow of water again, Anbar bets that the increase in the water reserve will be the beginning of restoring Habbaniya as a tourist destination and an important water resource, after years of decline and water scarcity.