Baghdad, Erbil unite on water and climate change challenges
Shafaq News / The Minister of Agriculture in the Kurdistan Regional Government, Begard Talabani, announced on Sunday a series of agreements between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government on pivotal issues relating to dams, water management, and climate change.
During a joint press conference in Erbil with the Federal Minister of Water Resources, Awn Diab, Talabani disclosed that numerous discussions have been held regarding these issues, given their significance for both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole. She detailed that the agreement included the construction of several strategic dams in Iraq, four of which are to be situated within the Kurdistan Region. Maintenance of the existing dams in the region and collaborative work between the two parties were also among the agreement's key provisions.
Talabani stated the two entities have agreed to form a joint committee specialized in water management for Iraq in general. "There is a good understanding between the Kurdistan Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources," she confirmed.
In a complementary statement, Awn Dhiab, the Federal Minister of Water Resources, lauded the positive meeting with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, and acknowledged Barzani's directives to foster collaboration, especially given the current climate changes. Dhiab further emphasized the "good cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government".
Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in a statement, noted that they discussed "enhancing coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government, particularly in the field of water resources, in addition to interest in dams and their renovation and rehabilitation, and the importance of establishing new dams in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region." He stressed the need to unite efforts to confront water scarcity and the negative impacts of climate change.
