Addressing Water Scarcity in Iraq

PROVINCES

Nationwide

LIFE OF ACTIVITY

Ongoing from 2003

OVERVIEW

GOALS

USAID is partnering with the Government of Iraq (GOI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to deliver climate-resilient drinking water and sanitation services and improve the management of water resources to better cope with increasing water scarcity. This includes implementing reforms, developing modeling and tracking tools, and improving detection of leakage and illegal connections.

USAID supports Iraq’s food security by assisting farmers and the federal and regional Ministries of Agriculture to use new agriculture technologies and smart irrigation techniques, limit energy consumption, and reduce the impact of drought.
USAID’s humanitarian and stabilization programs rehabilitate critical water infrastructure, monitor water quality, and provide trucked water where necessary.

IMPACT

Since 2017, USAID has increased access to potable water for over 12 million Iraqis.
Over 140 water infrastructure projects were supported in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din.
Over 134,000 vulnerable and displaced people have emergency access to drinking water and improved sanitation.
Improved 72 critical water treatment stations, benefiting 8.1 million Iraqis since 2017.
In the Iraqi Kurdistan community of Soran, USAID partnered with Coca-Cola to upgrade water management and the water network to save over 1.1 billion liters of water a year.
Since 2021, USAID has helped nearly 12,500 smallholder farmers and other end users produce 45,000+ tons of food and save over four million liters of water.
From 2020 to 2023, ten treatment plants in Basrah were rehabilitated and upgraded, providing water to over 625,000 residents.
IT solutions and training to detect leaks and illegal connections reduced water wastage by 30% in five provinces.
A national online campaign on water scarcity and conservation reached over two million Iraqis through 16 outlets.

Addressing Water Scarcity in Iraq