Strengthening and Institutionalizing Women’s Leadership in Water Resources Management in Iraq

Iraq is facing a severe and accelerating climate crisis, with water scarcity, increasing temperatures, and environmental degradation placing significant pressure on governance systems and public institutions. Effective water resources management is therefore not only a technical issue but a central pillar of climate resilience and national stability.

Addressing Iraq's growing water and climate challenges requires inclusive and effective governance that draws on the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of all members of society. However, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership and decision-making processes in the water sector, despite being disproportionately impacted by water and climate-change related challenges. Due to this exposure, they hold valuable knowledge that should be harnessed to design workable solutions to Iraq’s water crisis. Only if water governance systems and policies are built on diverse perspectives and contributions by women will they be effective in the long term. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) provides a suitable framework for addressing gender and water in an integrated way and thereby applying the SDGs to the water sector.

The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) should play a central role in IWRM in Iraq. As the line ministry in charge of planning, developing, managing, and protecting Iraq's water resources to ensure their sustainable and equitable use, the MoWR is responsible for the integrated management of surface and groundwater resources; planning, constructing, operating, and maintaining dams, irrigation, drainage, and flood control infrastructure; regulating water distribution; protecting water resources from pollution; restoring and conserving the Mesopotamian Marshes and other aquatic ecosystems; and safeguarding Iraq's rights to shared international water resources through cooperation and negotiations with neighbouring riparian states. The Ministry seeks to balance competing water demands for agriculture, drinking water, industry, hydropower generation, flood management, and environmental sustainability while supporting long-term water security and climate resilience. In line with the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), this requires not only technical expertise but also effective and inclusive governance. IWRM recognises that sustainable water management depends on the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. Achieving this requires institutions capable of coordinating across sectors, integrating environmental, social and economic considerations into decision-making, and ensuring the meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders.

Building on our extensive experience in leadership development, mentoring, and institutional support for the implementation of the WPS-Agenda in Iraq, the project combines leadership training and mentoring systems for women professionals with training and technical assistance supporting institutional and policy reform processes for the leadership of the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) to foster sustainable change across the individual, organizational, and policy levels. More concretely, the project will offer:

• a leadership training programme,
• a comprehensive training manual,
• a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) system that enables Ministry-led training delivery and scaling.
• the establishement of a professional network and mentorship programme that supports and reinforces women’s leadership development in the water and climate governance sector
• targeted Training for Decision-Makers on Gender-Responsive Leadership and Climate–Water Nexus (Basic Training)
• advanced Training and Development of Institutional Roadmap and Policy Recommendations