About Waterkeepers Iraq

Waterkeepers Iraq got its start back in 2010. Nature Iraq drafted a proposal to the international Waterkeeper Alliance (WKA) to create the first Waterkeeper Project in the Middle East.  At the same point, Pete Nichols, a key water advocate in the WKA saw a TV program of Nature Iraq's work in the southern Iraqi Marshlands and contacted them about starting a program.  These efforts combined to initiate the first program of Waterkeepers Iraq in 2011 with an initial site visit by the WKA in March and the hiring of the Middle East's first Waterkeeper in May.

Who are Waterkeepers?

We are Waterkeepers, advocates and voices for the protection of rivers and waterways of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin. Waterkeepers Iraq (WI) was originally initiated by the Iraq conservation organization, Nature Iraq, in May of 2011 but became an independent non-governmental organization registered in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Baghdad registration is pending) in December of 2014. The Iraq Upper Tigris Waterkeeper (IUTW),  based in Sulaimani in Kurdistan, northern Iraq, was the first waterkeeper under the the program but WI hopes to grow country-wide and create a strong network of waterkeepers or waterkeeper affiliates for all the major waterways of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin.

The program is affiliated with the international Waterkeepers Alliance, witch has 352 river, bay, sound and costal advocates across the globe. Waterkeepers Iraq-Kurdistan is the first affiliate Waterkeeper in the Middle East.

Though initiated in Iraqi Kurdistan, Waterkeepers Iraq  encourages and welcomes all interested individuals and groups throughout Iraq who are concerned with protecting and restoring Iraq's water quality, fisheries, aquatic diversity and natural functions of streams, lakes, bays and rivers to become the eyes, ears and voices that monitor and advocate for their local waterways. Together we can expand the Waterkeepers throughout the river basins of the Tigris-Euphrates.  Learn more here about becoming a Waterkeeper or a Waterkeeper Affiliate.

Our Mission and Program areas

Waterkeepers Iraq-Kurdistan focuses advocacy and awareness raising for protection of river and waterways of Tigris basin in Iraqi Kurdistan.

​We  work in the following three program areas:

1. Effective Water Resource Planning: We advocate for proper management and planning of our water resources so that waters are equitably shared and maintained between all users.  Our work  will focus on trans-boundary water issues, water policy and long-range planning, water-related legislation, the issues of water allocation and prevention/removal of dams that damage rivers and their communities.
2. Water Quality Protection: We will monitor contaminants that pollute our waterways and seeks innovative solutions for the protection of these waters to maintain their health for both the natural environment and the human communities that depend upon them.
3. Advocacy, Education & Outreach: We will use a variety of advocacy, education and outreach tools to support, raise awareness and educate community, scientific and government stakeholders about protecting the waters of Iraq.  These programs are designed to reach all levels of the community from children who will be responsible for protecting our water resources tomorrow to current decision-makers.

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