The College of City and Regional Planning at the University of Duhok (UoD), in collaboration with VNG International, hosted a high-level seminar. The event was attended by a number of government officials and directors, including the Mayor of Duhok, Mr. Brindar Haidar Abdullah; the Head of the Duhok Engineering Syndicate, Mr. Ali Nimat; the President of the Duhok Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Shukri Jamil; the Director of the Duhok Water Directorate, Mr. Bashar Haji; as well as representatives from water directorates, engineers from relevant departments, alongside the college’s faculty and students.

Opening Remarks & Event Overview

The seminar opened with welcoming remarks from Mr. Samir Hashim Muhyadeen, Vice Dean of the College, who highlighted the role of the university—specifically the College of City and Regional Planning—in engaging with government institutions on matters related to planning and municipal services. Following this, Ms. Rawshan Alatroshi, Country Director of VNG International in Iraq, outlined the organization’s strategic role in ongoing collaborations with the university and government directorates.

The seminar was held under the title “Water Status in Duhok: Challenges, Opportunities, and a Public Sector Perspective” presented by a number of directors from the water directorates in Duhok Governorate.

Key Presentations:

• Water Resource Assessment & Flood Mitigation: Eng. Heja Abdulwahid, Director of Irrigation in Duhok Governorate, presented an overview of current water resource levels, evaluated historic flooding events, and detailed flood risk reduction strategies specifically tailored for the Hishkaro River.
• Drinking Water & Resource Allocation: Eng. Khalat Fattah, Director of Duhok Water Outskirts, discussed surface water availability, active supply infrastructure, well capacity, and current water consumption trends across the governorate.
• Urban Sewerage Infrastructure: Eng. Younis Jano, Director of Sewerage in Duhok, outlined the structural framework of the city’s sewerage networks and addressed pressing operational and infrastructure challenges.

Background and Strategic Objective

As part of the twinning agreement with the Municipality of Rheden (Netherlands), the City of Duhok established a Sustainable Development Board (SDB) based on the "Triple Helix" model (bringing together local government, academia, and the private sector). The SDB is officially designated as a permanent advisory body to the Duhok Mayoralty, with its core membership comprising the Mayor of Duhok, the Head of the Chamber of Commerce, and a representative from the University of Duhok.

This seminar was organized as part of the SDB's ongoing efforts to monitor and evaluate the administrative status of public service providers in the water sector, aiming to highlight pressing challenges and explore sustainable development opportunities.