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Body of Water In Iraq
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. 

Active project

2024–2025

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.
Kim Andersson
Kim Andersson

Senior Expert and Team Lead for the Sanitation and Health Team

SEI Headquarters

Adriana Soto
Adriana Soto Trujillo

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Profile picture of Annette Huber-Lee
Annette Huber-Lee

Senior Scientist

SEI US

Carla Liera
Carla Liera

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Women in red shirt smiling in portrait
Charlotte Wagner

Scientist

SEI US

Daniel Ddiba
Daniel Ddiba

Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Linus Dagerskog
Linus Dagerskog

Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Nhilce N. Esquivel
Nhilce N. Esquivel

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Sveva Lazzati
Sveva Lazzati

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Profile picture of Uttam Ghimire
Uttam Ghimire

Research Fellow

SEI Asia

Jennifer Aghaji

Communications Specialist

Communications

SEI York

Funding partner

Partners

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