With the rainy season approaching, the water file returns to the forefront in Iraq, not only in terms of preparedness for floods and water accumulation but from a broader perspective regarding how to manage rainwater after it falls.
Amid preparations focused on the readiness of drainage networks and warnings from specialists about the ongoing issues in resource management, a fundamental question arises: Does Iraq have enough plans and measures to turn rainwater into a resource that enhances its water reserves, instead of most of it ending up through drainage paths?
Hopes and Challenges
This year’s preparations come amidst accumulated water challenges, following years of drought and a decline in water revenues, making the amount of rainfall an important factor in supporting water reserves, strengthening dam and reservoir levels, and rejuvenating the marshes.
Conversely, heavy rains impose other challenges related to flooding and water accumulation within cities, particularly in areas suffering from weak drainage networks or blocked channels and culverts, necessitating heightened readiness among service providers and enhanced early response measures.
These challenges coincide with the continued need for more efficient management of rainwater, not only limited to draining it during rainy waves but also including investing it to enhance water reserves, recharge groundwater, support the marshes, and mitigate the effects of water scarcity and salinity in southern regions.
Operations Room
In Baghdad, the Capital Municipality announced the implementation of early measures in preparation for the season, which included rehabilitating parts of the drainage networks and transport lines and stations, as well as activating a joint operations room and establishing emergency lines in areas that experienced water accumulation during previous seasons.
The spokesman for the municipality, Adi Al-Jundil, told the Video News Agency that the Baghdad Municipality took a series of early measures and preparations for the rainy season, including rehabilitating the main transport lines and control stations, and enhancing the readiness of the rainwater drainage system in the capital.
Al-Jundil added that the Municipal Drainage Department has worked on repairing more than 60 sections of the transport lines within the capital, in addition to directing municipal sectors within city departments to carry out repair and maintenance work for sinkholes and substation and control stations, as well as cleaning and clearing the secondary lines and rainwater drainage networks.
Establishment of a New Emergency Plan
He continued by saying that the municipality activated an operations room chaired by the Baghdad Secretary, with the participation of general agents and representatives from the Ministries of Electricity, Civil Defense, and Water Resources, in anticipation of any emergencies that might occur during rainfall.
The spokesman pointed out that the Baghdad Municipality continues its cleaning, clearing, and maintenance work for all facilities and installations related to rainwater drainage, noting that the areas that experienced water accumulation during the last season received additional measures, including the establishment of new emergency lines and putting them into service in anticipation of any water gatherings within the capital.
He indicated that the drainage sections in the municipal departments and the Baghdad Drainage Department continue their early preparations for the rainy season, pointing out that the capacity of the transport lines is about 22 mm of rainwater.
He added that if larger amounts of rain occur over a short period, some areas may experience temporary water accumulation, requiring about an hour or two to drain, compared to previous years when the drainage process would take from 10 to 20 days.
He affirmed that this improvement came as a result of the measures taken by the Baghdad Municipality in recent years, through extending new lines and expanding drainage networks, thereby increasing their capacity to absorb rainwater, expressing hope that the upcoming season will be a season of good fortune for the capital Baghdad.
Optimism for a Good Rainy Season