 Good afternoon Not is this working? I guess it's working here. I think it's important also that it works because I would like to welcome All of you here in in the room. Of course a very special welcome to our guest of honor I will say a few words about Your your history and CV and why we are so happy to have you here But I would also like to welcome all the people that are joining this webinar online So also very welcome to all those that participate in this session. I Have one important task next to doing the announcements is to keep time and We really have to finish at 1 30 because your excellency has other appointments that he needs to go to But I do hope that within this half hour. You will have a very very enjoyable meeting with one of our alumni That has showed that You are able to take up this leadership that we are also so proud of of our alumni and I think that he's a really important example in there and I Also know that he's a little bit nervous and that has to do with the fact that his supervisor is also in the room Sitting in in the back and I think that it's always nice Also as a lecturer to see what your students are doing and I think I'm quite proud here that as a vector of IG I Can really welcome your excellency here to give a presentation Because also as IG we very much are looking forward that we are not only able to teach people What to do but that people use that In their career and to forward say the water sector and I think your excellency you are a really a good example of that And I have your CV. I will not completely read it out. But the things that struck me is that one I said and that's the thing I wanted to read out because the thesis of your Your master research that you did here That was the impact of the back my dam on water availability in the greater sub river using the well flex model and Also looking at your CV. I think that and that's about them operation them building them construction I think that's a very important part in in your career But there was something else that I was really struck about and I think that's also quite important That is that you also participated in the collaboration with other countries and I think Also from our discussion from yesterday what struck my mind is this collaboration with Turkey And I know that in countries where you are say at the lower part of river system You're depending on people living also from the upper part those say Engagements with with other parties is very very very important and I'm quite happy To see that that's you also in your Responsibility as the minister in Iraq is also working on this topic And I hope that we can also learn from you how that is done because I know that those Collaborations are not the easiest one to put it very mildly So thank you very much for coming here and I would like to also Give you the floor to have your address here and thank you for doing this Thank you very much Well, thank you very much Acccellency and It's pleasure to me to be here which Was the place I like to be here every every time I achieve and delft so thank you very much for your kind words and It's an honor to me also and when I see professor funders are here is is my supervisor during my msc study Yeah, so maybe we can start with the Without presentation the introduction Of course iraqi strive to scare Secure their food the security by Relying on their own resource as much as possible water is the current store cornstone of The every aclycarcher development in Iraq where the climate is dry and hot and precipitation are a few the tremendous was and Still on the organized organized Irrigation to achieve actual development Our vision in water Security here at vision is for the water security and include the wide range of objective The most important among them to ensure that the water supply to the people is Adequate in terms of both quantity and equality and in order to achieve that goals We need to focus on the Most important requirement that must be met for the purpose of achieving water security In Iraq the first one rehabilitation and development of the irrigation and region drainage system infrastructure and irrigation projects flood control and Drought challenging reducing water losses and water supply system for virus Purpose carrying out reform in water resource management and in the structure of the water sector institutional and Legally state reform Continuing the negotiation process with the rubberian neighbors country in order to reach an International agreement or any agreement on Iraq water share from the water Tigris and Euphrates I Would like to highlight here about the Percentage of the contribution of the rubberian country and in Tigris and Euphrates when we're talking about the Euphrates Basin We can see here as Syria is 8.3 percent Turkey is 88.2 percent Iraq is a 3 percent from Euphrates for Tigris Basin we can See here that the percentage of contribution of the country in the flow Iran is 29 percent Syria is not quite because the Tigris passing just 40 kilometer In Syria border in north of Iraq Turkey is 35 percent Iraq is 36 percent and 36 percent in Tigris Basin It's mean that the tributaries from Iran and Turkey I would like here to highlight about the current and the future irrigated area and the upper basin countries And the unit here in thousand hectares We can see in Turkey especially a new fratis Tigris and the greater zap Turkey a new fratis She's planning to If you you can see the red one Is more more than a thousand Hectares and For Tigris is more than 600 hectares for a greater zap It's more or less because the greatest as is look like a mountain area So it's not easy for them to using that area for Development there their land for Syria more than 600 Red one that is their plan in 2035 so 2012 2035 if anyone ask why you choose 2012 and 2000 2035 because 2012 this is a this is the year then we start to adapt or Applying for our statistical study So our strategic a strategical study for land and water development in Iraq starting from 2012 and our Road map that is we called as a road map to our ministry in order to reach out to know What what our situation in? 2035 and that is study. It's it is the second stage for the first study doing By the way, this is steady doing with the Italian International company consulted company and the first study doing with the Russian company from 1982 till 2004 What what we call a general water balance? That's the study number one the study number two we called it a statistical study for land and water development in Iraq So this is a this is a year the period that we We choose in for for our for our study so we can we can see the blue one is Their development until to 2012, but they are planning to reach the red the red one So estimated of the water flowing To Iraq at the border with the countries in the upper basin we can see here for Tigris and And It's a trooper trees and the Euphrates. We can see in the chart that on 2025 more than 35 billion cubic meter That is The whole amount of water maybe we expect to our I mean it's Moving to Iraq or in flow to Iraq in 2003. There is a reduce maybe reach 131 but the problem was 2035 after The upper country developed 100% from their projects as I mentioned in the briefcase slide So we can we we can imagine how the damage maybe we come to Iraq so but so in order to avoid that we need to have some some Some Solution to have this this problem The current and the future water situation in Iraq We can just maybe imagine that it is an evident that the quantities of what are available to Iraq in 2035 will be decreased By about 17.6 for billion cubic meter that Then it was in 2015 So despite the the population increase in the target year we're talking about 2035 we can I mean our plan not our plan, but our estimating estimation that we will reach more than 50 million people at the target year in 2035 So the increase need of course need for water and the existence of some reform taking place On the irrigation network and on some projects the demand for water will decrease by 5.28 billion as a result of this improvement that is mean we need to have some improvement So improvement it's mean we we try to reduce consuming water so in So I mean our shortage our general shortage based on our study at 17.64 So we need to have an improvement in water sector and also Improve in irrigation projects, I mean using a new technique lining piping so We need to reduce it to 10.9 for billion cubic meter a year of 2035 It is equally that Iraq will suffer a rich shortage that requires cooperation to overcome and this can only be achieved by taking a Extensive reform measures on irrigation network and large investment in addition to reach an agreement that to share the damage and Not to a burden Iraq alone That is what we are talking during the drought period It's mean there is they should be sharing the damage Not I mean it's not make sense for the upper part country keep the the whole amount in his I mean and there was a Wire and leave the downstream alone facing alone So this can only be done by an appropriate rejection of the development Target area in upper part country. So during our negotiation with the upper part. We are trying to Convince them or to avoid them to develop the whole area that was what I mean that what they are looking for our what they are planning for and We believe we are I mean in our progress now so We we hope that we can I mean reach an agreement to reduce That area at least 25% in order to avoid a damage a great damage to to Iraq Food security, of course our vision regarding food security in the context of long-term planning for water and land resources it is is to achieve the greater part of stable food security through Developing agriculture and the fertile land and with the area with an area of about 13 million Donham and the employment of a skill libraries Water for agriculture, of course the amount of water for agriculture sector in 2035 will be reduced from 15 to 34.6 billion surface and ground water Iraq aims aims our target to develop and Rehabitate 131 irrigation projects with the total area of 13 million Donuts Of which 5.5 million dollars are currently development in whole or in part or require Rehabilitation rising the agriculture density from 85% to 115% according to the following measures Crop structure cultivate a new crop structure that are less water Consuming and suitable for AFZ at licorice on irrigation efficiency We are looking for rising total irrigation efficiency from 32% to 60% 60% using Modern irrigation method and we are now in Our ministry we are planning our our vision our target to change the irrigation system in Instead of open irrigation system to close System so close system. It's it's mean we will transfer water by piping with a pump station and piping and of course That two projects. It's mean we will reduce the evaporation the validation the I mean It's it's also reflect that The people who using the water downstream the canal or the river will receive the same amount based on equality and quantity food security for Iraq. I mean based on our Swallowry or our Strategical study we try to keep 50% export and 50% import that is our target until 2035 with respect to the with the wheat production and wheat wheat wheat import Of course, we have another Big challenge in in water resource management is Iraqi marches and biodiversity and water quality in shuttle Arab If anyone didn't know about shuttle Arab shuttle Arab is the that river and the downstream in the south of Iraq is the contact with with the with the sea so Marches it's now is the in the heritages World list list so we need to keep it I mean to keep amount for that water in order to keep it by Diversity for that special area and in in south of of Iraq as well as the water quality in shuttle Arab That is also another challenge because it is a located downstream the two rivers energy security we are planning to Construct it 23 dams the purpose is generating hydropower rising and our I mean our target to rising the the total electric power from the dams and 2035 to 42,000 megawatt and That is all maybe Contribution with the whole I mean need for Iraq for hydropower is around five five percent So we are looking for the hydro energy and solar energy and with plus the wind energy Wind energy is not a quite good percent like Netherlands of course Iraqi, but there is some some person we can also use it So what what the existing dam for multi-purpose and including the hydroelectric power? We have mussel dam haditha hamerin docan derbendee Khan Mussel regular so the total now. It's the capacity is more than 5000 megawatt and the design capacity No, no Kilo what were the megawatt is 200 to 2,000 180 So for us the hydropower is what we called the it's not the main purpose for for our dam because our dam is just to Avoid flooding and for irrigation and other domestic use The hydropower is what we called Yes, we need to release to release the water So there is a hydropower and we can generate hydropower, but this is not the main purpose for for our dam Iraqi government process to achieve our water right the ministry seek to secure iraqi's right for From the shared water of the tigers and euphrates So our target is continuing a whole joint technical and serial committees between iraq siri and turki On one side and between iraq and iran on other side in order to discuss water issue I mean continuing is very important participating in all international regional and and arab form joining organization institution and intentions Concerned with the studying and treating water problem including the arab ministerial council for water and the swedish institute For cooperation probably joining international convention. Of course the un convention 97 the Helsinki also We are joining Helsinki iraq had joined to the paris agreement also Under the imperial of united nation framework convention to only climate change And that is our So and also we are Very happy to have a field of cooperation with the dutch side with the water and water and peace and security Kindam of another the unisco ihe the viking no fake And and another and thank you There is any any question i am i'm here to answer so thank you thank you very much and I think i have to apologize a little bit because i don't have a watch with me But and i don't know if the clock in the back side is running well We have a couple of minutes and i think that I have one practical question and then i would like to open the floor for the room I don't know what the dumb dumb is Dumb yeah dumb no you said something about i think it's it's a A surface donam donam donam donam It's the one hectare is for donam one hectare is for them. Okay. I've learned something today at least that I was not aware about Yes, but you also mentioned. I think a quite donam is two two thousand five hundred cubic meter Okay square meter square meter. Okay. Okay very good. Okay. Thank you very much for that But i also think you touched on a couple of i think very important issues there One of them of course being this collaboration that's happening with the different countries I Know and I noticed from your presentation that I think That you're aiming for more than 30 percent water use efficiency. Yes that I think is Quite nice challenge I know if I remember correctly from a visit to Iran that they're aiming for for even 50 percent But I don't know exactly where so it would be quite interesting to see how that may impact also the water That is then available to iraq. Yes, and I don't know anything about turkey and syria about what their plans are But it would be also quite important for I think the collaboration that you're looking for But that was only Something I saw from your presentation. So that's not really a question to you. Yes, okay But uh, I would like to open the floor for people who have a question to this excellency Yeah, of course one second just because there are also people watching and I don't have a roofing microphone Let me just repeat briefly the question For briefly the question was about what is the ministry doing and what are the plans for what recycling and what reuse? Yeah, yeah, actually, uh water recycling In fact, that is Not our responsibility as a minister of water resource. That is the ministry of Municipality responsibility the local government But yeah, I agree We need to have the water recycling in our ministry because we are just The session in iraq or maybe we are only the ministry in iraq. We are direct Impact with the sewage water releasing without any treatment. Yeah, but there is a new planning, but the problem is We need to increase the high-level Person awareness on that issue and that is our biggest challenge. Yes. Thank you for your question Any other questions? If yeah Green first and then Thank you. I was just interested in the response that you gave now because you said That was not your responsibility, but I was wondering about the relationship with other ministries in iraq when it came to energy and food planning Yeah When we talk about the food security This is a general word. I mean even we discussed during our cabinet meeting They are focusing on the food security. So sometimes I am I mention all the times So please minister, are you using the food security by air? For instance, or you need to have water security as well So we need the the cooperation. I mean we need to They say make his enforcement the cooperation They are focusing on the food security without any focusing on the water security So based on that we try to increase their awareness If you're looking for the food security, you need to focus on the water security because this is the main factor So that is our another challenge that we are facing during our When when we are doing our duty in and ministry of photo resource They believe that the water is for free and the water is there There is no any problem the problem with the food security But it is you know, it is an equation. It is the everything Contact with with with each other. So that is also I I I do my best during two years To convince them, please focus on what water security in order to get your food security That is our challenge. So there is a cooperation, but not and What we called in our ministry. It is not enough To cover our challenges Thank you Thank you very much. I think for also a very interesting point that was raised here because I think it's also an invitation to all people working in the water sector to also start those Discussions with other sectors like agriculture, but also energy Held that needs the water but are not always indeed aware where the water is coming from. Yeah, please First of all, thank you for your presentation. Thank you and thank you for the insights and difficulties and also part of the the solutions Do you have any anything about Other solutions, like are you also looking at groundwater resources? Maybe seawater? I know your coastline is very short Yeah Yeah, actually we have Two big challenge in Iraq What we called an outside challenge that is related to the our relationship with the rabbi with the upper upper part country And the another challenge is what we call this is our entire problem entire challenge So when we talk about the groundwater Yeah, actually sometimes we hear from media we have thousand cubic meter or billion cubic meter from the water underground and that is not true actually So we need to use I mean I put some restricted tools in order to using the water underground and say If you if you like to use the water you need to use a new technique for irrigation Not I mean Yes so What we are doing now Just using that's the ground water And in very best way using a new technology But that is not enough because we have I mean not a plenty water. We have some limited water and ground water The chargeable water is around one billion cubic meter and We are I mean our demand is around for more than 40 billion cubic meter per year So We need to be very sensitive when we when you're using the ground water But we are doing that now because we are in drought in a drought period Yeah Thank you. You're actually and I think that I got one Assignment actually from you idiots is to keep time So I will help doing that and I think you're also in a position maybe to later on ask the question to your excellency And I think that the last question was very nice because we are in the groundwater year this year So with special emphasis on groundwater So I think that's maybe a very nice question to also Thank you for your presentation. Thank you also for the q&a I think it doesn't happen so often that we are in a position to ask questions and get answers from a minister So I'm quite happy that you are willing to do this. So, thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you