On 13 April 2022, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) hosted a High-level Roundtable meeting with the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and the Water, Peace and Security Partnership (WPS). This High-level meeting aimed at discussing avenues of cooperation and further alignment of work between the MoWR and WPS in the next years.
The Minister of Water Resources was joined by three representatives of the MoWR and two representatives of the Iraqi Embassy in the Netherlands. Two additional WPS Iraq partners joined, namely Tobias von Lossow (Research Fellow at Clingendael) and Eelco van Beek (Water Resources Specialist at Deltares).
The broader WPS objectives were highlighted by the WPS Project leader and Associate Professor of Water Law and Diplomacy at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education – Susanne Schmeier, followed by a presentation of the WPS Iraq Engagement from HCSS Senior Strategic Analyst Laura Birkman and Strategic Analyst Irina Patrahau. WPS tools and services were illustrated by Alyssa Offutt (Doctoral Candidate at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education) who presented WPS trainings and workshops, along with Judith Blaauw (Advisor and Researcher Water Resources & Delta Management at Deltares) displaying the WPS policy dashboard.
The MoWR and WPS underlined their intention to further align work in the field of water-related challenges and their impacts on socio-economic development and stability in Iraq. The two parties agreed that analytical tools, policy dashboards, capacity development initiatives and dialogue support at the national and local levels contribute to addressing pressing challenges such as water scarcity and inefficient water use.
A special thank you to all who have contributed to this very productive dialogue.
