Under the auspices of the Public Aid organization, on February 13 and 14, the city of Erbil witnessed a prominent event entitled “Water Scarcity”, which was organized at the Van Royal Hotel as part of the PERMA2 project. The conference brought together prominent representatives from various Iraqi and regional government agencies, where representatives from the Marshlands and Agriculture Committee in the Iraqi parliament, the Adviser to the PrimeMinister, in addition to representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Trade, and the Ministry of water resources, along with officials from Salah al-Din and Ninawa governorates, and representatives from universities and concerned directorates in the Kurdistan region, such as the General Directorate of dams.
The conference lasted over two days, with the first day being a key stop to discuss the challenges posed by water scarcity. On this day, the achievements of the PERMA2 project, aimed at improving the management of Water Resources in drought-affected areas, were presented. Despite the challenges faced by the agricultural sector due to the lack of water, the discussions showed a determination to find sustainable solutions to ensure the protection of this vital sector, which is the main source of livelihood for many families. The sessions were an opportunity to get to know the reality of the current situation, where important issues were raised such as the effects of climate change, and how to share water resources between different regions in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region. A number of practical recommendations were presented during the first day, which will be the focus of attention from senior government agencies, as the PAO project team will work to send these recommendations to the senior Iraqi authorities in order to strengthen advocacy and take effective steps.
The second day was devoted to learning about Field Solutions and innovations in the field of water management. During a study tour to the komspan dam near Erbil, participants had the opportunity to learn about the water harvesting techniques that have been implemented in the region to counter water scarcity.
This part of the conference was an opportunity to connect theory with practice, giving participants a deeper understanding of practical ways that can contribute to minimizing the effects of this crisis.
This conference is an important starting point towards strengthening cooperation between government and community agencies to achieve effective solutions to the problem of water scarcity, which threatens environmental and Social Security in Iraq.
