The Ministry of Water Resources clarified its procedures regarding the file of establishing water harvesting dams, while indicating that it had contracted with an Italian company to update the strategic study on establishing dams, and confirmed the move to establish 36 dams throughout Iraq .
Director General of Dams and Reservoirs, Wissam Khalaf Obaid, said, “The strategic study amended since 2014 and scheduled until 2035 has confirmed that Iraq does not need large storage dams,” indicating that “the ministry has currently contracted with the Italian company Hydro Nova to update that study to include climate change and other matters that were not mentioned in the previous strategic study, so the Ministry of Water Resources has resorted to thinking about establishing water harvesting dams .”
Obaid added, “Water harvesting dams are small dams located in valleys and suitable areas in various governorates, as the General Authority for the Construction of Dams and Reservoirs in the Ministry approved the construction of 36 dams throughout Iraq .”
He pointed out that “many of these dams have completed their procedures, including Al-Masad Dam in Anbar Governorate, Abu Taqiya Dam in Nineveh Governorate, Al-Abyad 2 Dam in Karbala, and Al-Kharaz 2 Dam in Muthanna Governorate,” noting that “the procedures for these dams have been completed 100% and are in the implementation phase during the coming year .”
He continued: “As for the rest of the dams, including Jadala Dam and Amra Dam in Nineveh Governorate, Wadi Dam in Diyala Governorate, Wadi al-Naft, al-Milh Dam, Abu Khamsa Dam in Najaf al-Ashraf, Baghar and al-Muhandis in Muthanna, and other dams, studies are being prepared, but their implementation has been halted due to the lack of financial allocations allocated to the ministry .”
He pointed out that “we are waiting for funding from the Studies and Designs Center in the Northern Region and the Engineering Studies and Designs Center in Baghdad, as well as funding from the General Authority for Dams and Reservoirs.”
