20 June, 2003

20 June, 2003 PRIORITY NEEDS for Iraq’s Ministry of Irrigation Dr. Amir Dawood Sulaiman, Director General Iraq’s Ministry of Irrigation, like all other Ministries, sustained immense losses due to the turmoil and looting in the aftermath of the war of liberation. Not a single office of the 5 Commissions and 10 State Companies, nor any of the soil and water quality testing laboratories were spared. Worse yet, scores of vital pumping stations, dams and barrage sites were also looted, as were the warehouses of the Commissions and Companies where over 70% of the heavy machinery need for essential maintenance and construction work .The Ministry must literally start from scratch. There are many needs to replace basic office equipment, computers and telecommunications systems, not to mention laboratory equipment, pumps, and machinery required for basic operation of the complex hydraulic water management system. Of the remaining infrastructure, much of the maintenance has been deferred, and serious problems are being encountered daily. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Office equipment, computers, copying machines for 20 sites Spare parts and electrical equipment for a vast array of dams (10), barrages (20) and major pumping stations (500). NEAR TERM NEEDS (3- 6 months) : Support for staffing, training and equipment for new Ministry Commission on Integrated Water Management, and component Centers for Environmental Analysis (EAC) and Hydrological Analysis (HAC) Laboratory equipment and mobile water quality sampling instrumentation for EAC Computer software, hardware for HAC and EAC Communications system among 30 critical dams and barrages as basis of Water Control Operations Center. Satellite imaging/GIS technology Surveying equipment, GPS Initiate training of new generation of engineers, environmental specialists, economists in modern water management and project analysis Initiate regional, national assessments of water use and water management practices Develop operational water management model for Tigris and Euphrates basin, including upstream part in Turkey Undertake ecological assessment of marsh restoration potential and formulate options for water delivery. Initiate assessment of deployment of hydrometorological network for Iraq and the Ministry’s requirements LONGER TERM NEEDS (6 mo – 2 years) Implement recommendations of Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Assessment Team for priority dams and barrages Implement replacement and major rehabilitation of 25 priority pumping stations Undertake study of Nasseriya/Basra/Umm Quasr water supply pipeline options Undertake a broad array of institutional studies concerning water policy, national water commission, water codes, regulatory mechanisms, water user associations and water pricing Develop priorities for major rehabilitation and capital investment projects Initiate identified pilot eco-restoration projects Initiate formation of transboundary river basin commissions for Tigris and Euphrates Inititate transboundary commission (Iraq-Iran) for protection of Sanaf Pond and Al-Hawizeh Marsh and other shared watersheds (Lesser Zab, Diyala, Al-Wand, Karkah,etc.).