Baghdad, The President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, chaired today Sunday, an expanded meeting devoted to the water file in the country, in the presence of the Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, and the Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Johannes Leendert Sandee, a representative of the World Bank, and the Director of the World Bank’s office in Baghdad, Muhammad Al-Ani.
At the outset of the meeting, according to presidencial statement, the President stressed the importance of the New York Water Conference, to be held soon, and the need to raise Iraq’s water situation and the problems arising from water scarcity and climate change, stressing the importance of the need for serious and practical steps to reach an agreement with neighboring countries in order to share the damage and provide a fair share of water.
The statement added that President of the Republic indicated the need to find effective executive procedures and the necessary binding legislation that protects water and agricultural security in the country, and to the necessity of opening a practical dialogue with neighboring countries in this regard.
In addition to these responsibilities, the President of the Republic stressed the importance of taking care of water resources in Iraq and preserving them through serious and effective measures, since “we are among the countries most affected by climate change, drought and desertification.
He added that “the water file is a vital file and must have a priority that requires the cooperation of all institutions, governmental departments and non-governmental agencies, stressing the dissemination of societal awareness in rationalizing water consumption, stopping waste in it, and ending abuses on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their trebutaries.
President Abd al-Latif Jamal Rashid pointed out the importance of upgrading the agricultural methods used in the country by adopting modern irrigation methods, and providing the water share for the marsh areas, in order to preserve water resources and ensure their availability for future generations.
The attendees stressed the importance of the participation of the President of the Republic in the Water Conference for Sustainable Development to be held in New York.
During the meeting, extensive discussions took place among the attendees, which centered on addressing water scarcity, the use of modern methods and means in irrigation, and support efforts to enhance Iraq’s water share.
The Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, said that Iraq reached an understanding during a meeting held with the Iranian Minister of Energy on the exchange of information and the installation of measurement stations on the border rivers.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency