عربي

Ministry of Water Resources

Ministry by-laws as of 2004

1. Planning for investment of the surface water / groundwater resources in Iraq and developing their implementation.

2. Introduction of modern techniques and geographical information system (G.I.S) to develop the styles of the Ministry’s administration from all aspects (including the technique, administrative, financial, training-workforce).

3. Maintenance and operation of the surface waters/ groundwaters and boosting the safety of the dams.

4. Coordination with water-consumers sectors (agriculture, potable-water, household water, industrial and electric generation).

5. Coordination of the Ministry’s plans to be in harmony with comprehensive development in the country for all sectors.

6. Preservation of surface water and the ground water form pollution with priority for environment international criteria.

7. Coordinating with international, provincial and Arab organizations and NGOs, e.g. The International Council for Water, The International Organization for Global Dams, The International Organization for Irrigation and Saline Water Drainage and FAO, etc.

8. Follow-up with The International Pacts of Water Jointly with Neighboring Countries and Countries with Common Coastal River Basins for purpose of securing a fair division of waters quantitatively and qualitatively.

9. Preparing economic and technical feasibility as well as studies for water resources projects.

10. Executing water projects (dams, reservoirs, irrigation projects, reclamation projects and investment of ground water) as per the set planes.

Projects executed or supervised by the Ministry (seen as most important)

1. Buliding dams, e.g. Bakhma Dam on the Upper Zab with 14.4 billion M3 used for preventing flood risks and utilization of the seasons of water shortage as well as for generation of about 1500 MW and for tourism purposes. A study is under way for their reconditioning purposes and executing infrastructures for projects, e.g. roads, services and building.
   The Ministry is constructing a number of small water storage dams for various purposes, also the works in progress carrying on a number of dams the in Western Desert (e.g. Hovran Dam and Al-Masad dams on Eastern province in Diyala Governorate (e.g. Mendeli Dam, Qazanya Dam) and dams in Kurdistan Region (e.g. Hasawa Dam, Shethla Dam and Yaseena Dam ).
   Work is also in progress at rehabilitation and developing of existing dams, e.g. Mosul Dam, Hedeetha Dam, Derbendikhan Dam and Dokan Dam.

2. Executing the projects introducing systems for irrigation, modern irrigation systems and reclamation of agriculture lands and clearing them from salts.
   The area of land in which is in progress is 400.000 donums.

3. Investment of the groundwaters is in a rational way in parts in which there is no surface water. About 400 wells have been drilled in different parts (as per in the plan of 2006), 500 wells are planned for drilling by 2007 and importation of drilling equipment and sophisticated apparatus to detect ground water.

4. The State Directorate for Engineering Designs is seeking the help universities and consultation bureaus with respect to studies/investigations and designing irrigation/ dams projects, especially such projects of irrigation and reclamation as the following:
   
   • Kifil-Shennafiya Project.
   • Hilla-Deewaniya project.
   • Kurdistan Region’s Project.
   • Small dams on the valleys of Kirkuk Governorate and Upper, Udheym.
    

5. Works are under progress by Ministry-owned machinery for maintenance operation of: Irrigation/ Saline Water Drainage Project (inclusive of their facilities), pumping stations and water drainage. The total length is 14500 Km (7500 km as water stream+ 7000Km as saline water drainages).

6. Completion of a number of a offices, workshops, warehouses, resthouses and residential complexes at the sites of the dams, barrages, projects and governorates’ centers.

7. Field water losses constitute a huge percentage of losses which should be limited. Moden irrigation techniques (by sprinkling and dripping) are deemed one the actionable means to delimit squandered waters and to boost the efficiency of field irrigation. Therefore, the following projects were tailored to implement, these techniques: Al-Jazeera Project and Kirkuk Irrigation Project.  Moreover, designs are under ways for other irrigation projects in which these techniques would be implemented as deemed suitable.

8. Experiments and studies for implementation of non-conventional irrigation, in view of foreseen shortage of Iraqis water resources, e.g. Use of saline water for agricultural purposes and use of saline heavy water (agricultural drainage water).

9. Orientation of researches towards boosting the efficiency of field irrigation and implementation of the researches’ conclusions on pioneering projects as that it would be of benefit to all water use of agricultural purposes.

10. Rehabilitation of pumping satiations:There are 90 pumping satiation all over Iraq distributed across 254 station most of which are old and is need of rehabilitation (with consideration of available funding and importing of pumps).

11. Studies and Designs are in progress according to field information with the target of preparing execution programs for the different water recourses project the handbook for operation and maintenance are closely followed for irrigation projects management.

12. Re-supply of water to marsh districts according to the established (or would be established) satiations for making water available.  This first part leads to the development of above districts by execution of a number facilities, channels, dams, and outlets this undertaking is coordinated with other ministries of relevance.

13. Holding training sessions in Iraq and aboard and executing guidance programs for enlightenment for water uses.

Relationships with neighboring countries about common water resources

The subject of common water with neighboring countries is of prime importance, in views of its direct effect on waters incoming to Iraq, quantitatively and qualitatively, due to projects and dams constructed in countries of upper stream of the Tigris and Euphrates (Turkey, Syria and Iran). Since an early period, Iraq strived to reach an agreement with these countries that would secure the rights of all parties in the water of the Tigris and Euphrates. This was by negotiation in accordance with international codes and convention. Negotiation with the three countries started in beginning of the sixties of last century without reaching an agreement yet would determine the share of each of these countries. In 1980, a joint technical committee was set up whose basic aim was to reach a just division of the two rivers’ water. The activities of this committee ended after it having convened for 16 meetings, the latest was in 1992. Agreement was also reached with the Turkish party to increase the water inflow to Iraq by 200 m3/second in accordance the 58% of actual inflow at all Iraqi-Syrian borders.

Efforts for preserving water from pollution

One of the Ministry’s concerns is to protect surface waters of rivers and streams from pollution , especially from salts contained in the main and branch saline water drainage systems and preventing its water from polluting rivers and water streams. This is in order to ensure its serviceability for irrigation and for different agriculture purposes.

Another concern of the Ministry is cleaning the soil from salts by it reclamation and executing saline water drainage networks of different scales even fields saline water drainage system which draw salts into the saline water drainage system and clear the soil from the accumulated salts.

The Ministry drew the needed plans to form a main saline water drainage system network in Iraq for disposal and drawing of such saline waters through the main estuary of Tigris – Euphrates which starts from Al-Ishaqi and Al-Ramadi and saline systems in Al- Anbar Governorate and ends at Basra River in the south of Iraq.

This large vital artery was established between Tigris and Euphrates. It covers three parts:

• The north sector extending from Al-Ishaqi saline water drainage system to Al- Damlaj marshes to at Kut Governorate.

• The middle sector extending from Al- Damlaj marshes to Al- Nasriya city.

• The south sector extending near Al- Nasriya city until it meets with Basra River thereto towards the Arab Gulf. Thus, the estuary‘s length is 565 KM.

Some of the main saline water system (260.785KM) for irrigation projects between the Tigris and Euphrates.

Some of these main saline systems are:

A system (260.785KM) covering the land located between Euphrates – Al-Hila River.
Its area is 1.549 Million Donums serving the projects of Hilla– Kifil, Hilla- Deewaniya, Deewaniya –Shafi’ya, eastern side of Kifil - Shafi’ya, Rumatha, Muthenna and the left side of the Shafi’ya - Nasriya Project.

The second stage of the work is in progress.

East of Al-Gherraf Saline water drainage, it is located between the Tigris and the eastern side of AL-Gherraf River from AL-Hay City until it reaches AL-Shatra District and AL-Bad’a Project and finally it flows into the main estuary of Tigris and Euphrates. Its total length is 170Km and it serves about 480.00 Donums.

The length of the lower part is 47.50KM.its drainage is 23m3/second.

The works of this system would be completed, inclusive of its facilities, earthworks and its pump stations. Most of the works had been finished few years ago. It is in need of two pump stations which had been routed for a supply contract.

The Ministry is conducting a study and the necessary designs to execute other main estuaries, e.g.at the east of Tigris River starting from the north of Al-Azeeziya Al-Umara Governorate until it flows into Shatt-il-Arab (The Arab River) in the south of Basra city.

Therein other saline water drainage systems of lower Diyala flow into it, e.g. Mahroot and Khresan (Sariya), Tel- Asmer Project and irrigation projects left of the Tigris River, Umara project and Shatt-il-Arab project.

The Pump Station of main Nasriya estuary:

We clarified the importance of constructing the main estuary (Tigris-Euphrates) consisting of three sectors, of which the middle sector ends at a large pumping station at Nasriya city. Its drainage is 200m3/ second and it consists of 12 pumps (2 of which are spares) of 20 m3/ second capacity each.
This station has been completed, but complementary works are in progress in it at the siphon built under Euphrates River consisting of boxlike openings, 320m length* 5m*4m.

Other works in progress are the installations of the pumps due the importance of their operation for drawing saline water drainage with consequent decrease of the ground water levels at agricultural projects serviced by the drainage system of the main estuary.
The beneficiary parties of the water resources (potable waters, electricity, agriculture, tourism, etc) demonstrate the following:

Pure Water:

Through the General Directorate for Operation and Maintenance as well as the General Directorate for Administration of Water Resources the following is apparent:

• Supplying the water station system in all provinces, in coordination with the distract council, with raw water through securing reservoirs and dams for the irrigation projects to secure the continuation of working of these stations and to maintain a proper working level and also provide the parties concerned with the proper level for all the rivers and dams in which the water station takes its power, to maintain the working level and also to used later in future projects’ designs.

• Electricity: the Ministry provides Electricity from dams (about 700-750 MGW) ,provides the Ministry of Electricity with daily charts of the average power production for each dam (Mosul, Dokan, Darbendikhan, Hemreen, Hadeetha, Hindiya, Kufa and Samirra).

• Agricultural: There is a mutual committee between the Ministry of Agriculture and our Ministry for studying all obstacles in which the agricultural sector suffer from to secure the water irrigation shares, implementation of the winter agricultural plan and drilling wells in areas remote area from water resources.

• As for Tourism, the location of the dams and lakes are considered important. There is coordination between Tourism Department and Ministry to establish tourist facilities in it and also to protect the antiquities from flooding.