Iraq-Italy meeting discuss dams and management development

INA – Baghdad
 
A meeting of the Institutional Support and Skills Development Project for the Dam Safety Program to enable the sustainable management of hydraulic infrastructure in Iraq, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Water Resources, in the presence of the Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani, and the Italian Ambassador to Iraq, Bruno Antonio.
 
During the meeting, presentations were made on the importance of the project, the feasibility of its implementation and the ministry's vision, according to a statement by the Ministry of Water Resources, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
 
The Minister of Water Resources stressed “the importance of the program for skills development and technology transfer, to enhance the capabilities of employees working in the management of Mosul Dam and the rest of dams as well as, irrigation facilities to operate the dams in the most sustainable and safe way, including Mosul Dam, which represents a major priority for the Iraqi government,"
 
He added, "The program, which is in line with the Ministry's strategy for water and land resources, will contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development plan until 2030," noting that "the program includes the establishment of a dam safety division in the General Authority for Dams and Reservoirs, and equipping it with the necessary equipment to be a center for monitoring and following-up dam safety work in all Iraqi dams,”
 
The Minister of Water Resources called on the Italian ambassador to contribute updating the ministry's strategy for water and soil resources, which is prepared until 2035.
 
For his part, the Italian ambassador expressed his "full readiness to cooperate with the ministry and develop the capabilities of its affiliates working in the dam safety unit, and equip them with the necessary devices and equipment for monitoring and analysis of data interpretation,"
 
It is noteworthy that the meeting was attended by the technical advisor to the ministry, directors of the Planning and Follow-up Department, the General Authority for Dams and Reservoirs, and a number of experts and specialists in the field of dam management, in addition to a representative of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.