During his time in office as Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al Kadhimi worked tirelessly to improve water, food and energy security in the country through the implementation of ambitious policies. Prime Minister Moustafa Al Kazemi spearheaded a special protocol with Ankara with the goal of achieving cross-border cooperation to help counter the rising problem of water scarcity.
The goal of the protocol was to ensure Iraqi water resources from the Tigris, stipulating deployment of field monitoring stations to track flow rates downstream all the way to Basra in southern Iraq. The document guaranteed Iraq a constant monthly water quota from the Tigris River, as well as regulating the water relationship between Turkey and Iraq following construction of the Ilisu Dam on the Turkish side of the border.
Prepared by Baghdad over the course of three months with the full cooperation of Ankara, the protocol was based on the two countries’ shared desire to regulate the water relationship on the main axis of the Tigris River flowing construction of the Turkish Ilisu Dam. The protocol provided affirmations from both sides of the principal of cooperation in the field of joint international waters, recognising water’s critical importance in the agricultural, social and economic development in both countries.
Speaking at the inauguration of a national project in Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq, Water Resources Minister Madhi Rashid Al Hamdani pledged to continue to enhance the country’s water quotas with upstream countries. He emphasised the Iraqi government’s commitment to eliminating violations of water quotas in Iraq, highlighting this as an urgent necessity for both the country’s agricultural sector and economy as a whole. Al Hamdani expressed his hopes of delivering irrigation water to agricultural lands. These comments followed Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi’s visit to Turkey to discuss the regional, bilateral and economic ties.
In July 2021, Prime Minister Al Kadhimi met with David Malpass, President of the World Bank. In a statement issued by Al Kadhimi’s office, it was revealed that the Iraqi Prime Minister and his accompanying delegation met Mr Malpass in Washington to discuss cooperation in various fields. At the meeting, Prime Minister Al Kadhimi underscored his government’s efforts in combatting corruption, as well as reforming the banking sector and public sector and enhancing the performance of Iraqi institutions. Prime Minister Al Kadhimi and the World Bank President also discussed cooperation to finance infrastructure in Iraq, specifically within the fields of water, natural gas and aviation. They also conversed about clean energy projects, including electric power generation and solar energy.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi and David Malpass discussed ways that the World Bank could support the Iraqi government’s housing project plans by encouraging American companies to invest in the sector. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of developing cooperation between Iraq and global organisations such as the World Bank, lobbying for the expeditious disbursement of loans exceeding $1 billion to pave the way for a plethora of projects ready to be implemented in Iraq.
In May 2022, Prime Minister Al Kadhimi headed a meeting of Iraq’s Supreme National Committee for Water, discussing potential solutions to the country’s water crisis ahead of the summer. Acknowledging that climate change had impacted water resources in countries all over the world, the Prime Minister pledged that his government would spare no effort in implementing a distribution plan to ensure sufficient water supplies for agriculture. Measures such as financial aid to the ministry, optimal resource allocation and building small dams were discussed at the meeting. Throughout his time in office as Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al Kadhimi maintained a steadfast commitment to solving the country’s water and energy issues, ensuring the equitable allocation of vital resources for all.
