Client: Ministry of Water Resources

Opportunity

By 2010, the Government began the process of reforming the national water sector to be more responsive and effective.

Solution

As part of that overall process, our firm provided water intelligence and optimization services in one of the country’s most critical and complex planning projects — the Strategy for Water Land Resources in Iraq (SWLRI) — the core aims of which were to prepare a 20-year national water strategy and investment plan (2015-2035) and develop a negotiation strategy for Iraq to successfully achieve water sharing agreements with neighboring countries.

Our solutions included establishing the scientific basis of the current state of the water resources of Iraq, collecting extensive data and conducting assessment, conducting computer analyses. Hydro Nova’s multi-criteria modeling sequencing evaluated future needs, including the demand for water and the need for flood control, power generation and environmental protection.

Outcome

The key outcomes of our work included an investment strategy for the Iraqi water and agriculture sector; establishing a new GIS and mapping system; an assessment of existing laws and institutional arrangements within the water sector; Proposed new policies and legislative and institutional reforms; hundreds of employees from the ministry of water resources trained on operation and planning; the launch of extensive stakeholder involvement programs; assisting the ministry of water resources in negotiating water sharing agreements and institutional reforms with all 18 governorates of Iraq, including the analysis of the application of water tariffs.

Ultimately, we helped to identify opportunities for the future, including supply and demand side measures, land use change and the way forward for Iraq to establish transboundary agreements with its neighbors.