President Rashid: intentions to form a supreme council for water

INA-  Baghdad

The President of the Republic, Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, revealed Thursday the work to form a Supreme Water Council.

The media office of the President of the Republic stated, in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "Rashid, during his meeting with the delegation of the National Committee for Saving the Marshes, stressed" the need to pay attention to the marshes and make use of every effort to provide the required limit of water to sustain the functioning of the ecosystem in it, explaining that the drying of the marshes was a crime by all accounts, and Iraq is still paying the price for its negative effects.

The President of the Republic also directed during the meeting on the importance of focusing on rationalizing water consumption, and the use of modern irrigation methods, since the use of old methods negatively affects the water rate in the country, and working to remove excesses on rivers and stressing limiting the phenomenon of the spread of fish farming ponds that consume huge quantities of water.

 The President of the Republic indicated that "there is diligent work going on now aimed at forming a supreme council for water that takes upon itself the responsibility of the water file, indicating that the Presidency of the Republic will form a water committee that will take its decisions in coordination with the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources and the relevant authorities.”



 Rashid focused on the need to take advantage of the strategic plan developed to manage water resources in Iraq until 2035 to manage water in all parts of Iraq, which is an ambitious plan that also includes the drought management process.

 He indicated that "the climate is not under human control, but work must be done to benefit from every drop of rain and snowfall, and he also urged the need to work on building dams and preserving groundwater."

 The President of the Republic mentioned the importance of developing relations with neighboring countries in general, and especially with regard to the issue of water, stressing the importance of dialogue and reaching agreements that satisfy everyone on the basis of common interests.

In turn, the members of the delegation of the National Committee for Saving the Marshes stressed the need to protect the marshes and restore life to the water bodies that dried up that they contribute to preserving environmental diversity.  They also reviewed the risks that Iraq will face next summer as a result of water scarcity despite the rain this season, noting that they are working to form a committee aimed at coordinating with ministries to press for better management of water resources, directing water to the marshes and compensating those affected by the drought.