Makhoul Dam May Submerge Multiple Archaeological Sites in Iraq

Iraq is in the midst of a climate emergency. With soaring temperatures and acute water supply, experts have warned of a potential humanitarian crisis that may lead to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable peoples in the region. To address these worrying concerns, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources has spearheaded a new project— the Makhoul Dam.

Located on the Tigris River, about 30 kilometres northwest of the city of Baiji, the Makhoul Dam is expected to have a capacity of three billion cubic meters and shall extend to the city of Sherqat, in the Saladin Governorate. Since the commencement of this project in January 2021, the dam has been mired in controversy.

Although the Makhoul Dam is expected to be completed in five years’ time; activists as well as local population groups have challenged the project. According to a new investigative report, the Ministry of Water Resources has not adequately assessed and considered the cultural, environmental, and social impact this project may have on local communities as well as on archaeological sites in the region, namely the Assyrian city of Ashur, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

LIWAN, a non-governmental organisation based in Iraq, has reported that “there has been no coordination with other ministries, such as the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities and the Ministry of Migration.” Despite multiple calls by local and international actors to halt the $3 billion project, policy makers in the country have largely ignored expert recommendations.

The significance of the city of Ashur is not only measured by its economic value due to tourism but is also considered to be sacred land and the cradle of Assyrian cultural identity. As the descendants of the original inhabitants of this region, Indigenous Assyrians continue to maintain cultural, spiritual, and physical connections with this site.