Project

WICER: Water innovation for circularity and enhanced resilience

Iraq faces severe water security challenges exacerbated by climate change, prolonged conflict, and environmental degradation. The WICER project seeks to enhance Iraq’s resilience to water scarcity and climate change by innovatively managing water resources and promoting circularity. The project will engage local stakeholders to develop solutions and build capacity for resilient water planning, urban sanitation and resource recovery businesses, and rural circularity practices.

Body of Water In Iraq.
Photo : Roberto Machado Noa / Getty Images

Active project

2024–2025

Project contact

Kim Andersson / kim.andersson@sei.org

Iraq is facing significant water security challenges, worsened by climate change, prolonged conflict, and environmental degradation. It is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Rising temperatures and decreased rainfall are putting additional strain on already limited water resources. In recent decades, water supplies have dropped sharply due to prolonged droughts. Simultaneously, water demand has surged because of population growth, which can lead to a water deficit in many seasons. Heatwaves are intensifying water stress in agriculture, putting pressure on the sector and leading to internal displacement.

Decreased water flows are increasing pollution levels and salinity issues. Untreated municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste is contaminating the limited water supply, posing health risks to the population. While water, sanitation, and health services are generally accessible, the main challenges lie in waste management and health protection.

The decline in water quality, reduced water availability, and the rising unpredictability in water inflows —linked to climate change and actions by neighboring countries—collectively threaten Iraq’s water security.

The WICER project seeks to enhance Iraq’s resilience to water scarcity and climate change by innovatively managing water resources and promoting circularity. The project will engage local stakeholders to develop solutions and build capacity for resilient water planning, urban sanitation and resource recovery businesses, and rural circularity practices.

The project aims for enhanced capacities in resilient water planning, urban sanitation, resource recovery businesses, and rural circularity practices as immediate outcomes. In the long term, it plans to develop and implement resilient water management strategies and policies. Additionally, the project proposes to create viable urban sanitation and resource recovery business models and adopt decentralized options for improved rural circularity.

The project comprises three synergetic workstreams that include the following activities:

Workstream A – Resilient water management:

Co-develop a scenario-based water resource planning model of the Al-Udhym basin.
Train and mentor professionals on resilient water planning, using tools like Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) and Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT).
Co-create and support a university course on water and environmental assessment with the University of Sulaimani.

Workstream B – Market-based urban circularity solutions:

Assess and map urban organic waste management, identifying gaps for market-based improvements.
Co-create business models for safe sanitation and resource recovery solutions in urban areas, filling identified service and value chain gaps.

Workstream C – Exploring rural circularity:

Assess circularity potential and document good practices in rural waste management and circularity.
Co-develop sustainable management models and guidelines for community-level nature-based solutions/sanitation systems.
Contribute circularity perspectives to trainings and seminars, in conjunction with workstream A.

Training participants on field visit in Jordan

Focus Iraq: SEI’s water tools and training enhance water resilience

Feature / SEI is working with Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources to tackle the country's water crisis through various capacity strengthening and research actions.

10 February 2025 / About Water resources

العراق في دائرة التركيز: أدوات معهد ستوكهولم للبيئة، والتدريب لتعزيز صمود الموارد المائية

Feature / .يعمل معهد ستوكهولم للبيئة بالتعاون مع وزارة الموارد المائية في العراق على مواجهة أزمة المياه من خلال تنفيذ مجموعة من الإجراءات البحثية وبرامج بناء القدرات

10 February 2025 / About Water resources