2007

Minister of Water Resources in Czech Republic

4 Dec 2007: A delegate headed by the minister of water resources, HE Mr. Tahsin Kader , visited the Czech Republic. The delegate included the senior advisor Prof. Hemin Koyi, advisor Mr. Anwer Mustafa Al Birwari, G.D. Mr. Dler A. Omer and G.D. Mr. Muayad Ali Hammadi. During their separate meetings on the 6th December 2007, they were received by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture RNDr. Pavel Puncochar, the Deputy Minister of Environment Dr. Karel Blaha and the main Czech companies within the field of water resources management. HE Mr. Tahsin Kader Ali addressed these issues in his speech:

Kurdistan Region is a safe and a secure part of Iraq, where the Kurdistan Regional Government gives security and stability the highest priority. The stability of Kurdistan Region has been achieved by the strategic accord between the two main political parties, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Another factor, which has enabled accomplishing this stability is the decisive international support, led by the United States of America and Europe for the region and the rest of Iraq.

The strategic vision of the Kurdistan Regional Government is to contribute to the stability of the rest of Iraq, where several Kurdish political leaders are active on the political arena. Another strategic vision of the Kurdistan Regional Government is to maintain financial and administrative reforms in order to achieve justice and transparency in all sectors of the society, support privatization and encourage international and national investments in the region.

On the regional arena, the vision is to maintain a professional and friendly relationship with all the neighboring countries, specially Turkey, by widening the political and economical ties with them.

The Kurdistan Regional Government is keen on cooperation with the Czech Republic and other European countries in the aim to gain knowledge from their experience in transferring a totalitarian system to a democratic and transparent one. The ministry of Water Resources would benefit from the experience of the water resources authorities in the Czech Republic in the field of integrated water resources management (IWRM).

The Czech side explained their policy in the water resources sectors and shared their experiences in maintaining a sustainable water resources management and environmental protection with the MOWR-KRG delegate.

 The Czech side delivered three main messages to the MOWR-KRG delegate:

1- Support and assistance in building a national capacity, training and education in the fields related water resources.

2- Assistance in preparation and submission of proposals to the Czech Republic, EU and other international donors to acquire financial support for the implementation of the water resources projects.

3- Willingness of the Czech companies in investing in Kurdistan Region and cooperation on implementing projects related to water resources.

As a part of their visit to the Czech Republic, the MOWR-KRG delegate continues its meetings with different companies and site visits to projects related to water resources.

Minister of Water Resources in Sweden

14 Aug 2007: The World Water Week is on now! Some 2,500 experts from 140 countries are gathered in Stockholm for capacity-building, partnership-building and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programs in water and development. Mr. Tahsin Kader Ali has been invited to attend the conference within a KRG delegation, H.E. made a speech in the conference. (Click to download the speech in PDF format)

In its 17 year history, the World Water Week (WWW), founded by the local public water utility, has played an important role gathering water experts for scientific and technical discussions. National and multilateral donors are sending higher profile delegations. Deals are being struck in side meetings, programs and policies set and agreed. As a result, Stockholm Water Week has attracted massive attention from corporate lobby groups and think tanks like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), World Economic Forum (WEF), Global Water Partnership (GWP), World Water Council, Aqua fed, etc. In fact, WWW has become increasingly dominated by the private water industry. This politicization and domination by powerful private water interests risks the WWW losing its legitimacy as an open space for debate and discussion.

For the WWW to remain a legitimate forum for global water policy debate, it must stop the creeping corporate take-over and take serious steps to become more inclusive. Southern water sector and civil society representatives are disastrously under-represented, also due to the excessive entrance fees and the absence of funding to cover travel and lodging for those who cannot afford it.

A case in point is that this year Nestlé is the main sponsor of the Water Week. The world’s largest bottled water company by annual sales, Nestlé is playing a part in the privatization of public water sources around the globe. Nestlé continues exploiting new sources of water for their ever growing list of bottled water brands. When did Nestlé ever run a water utility? How can Nestlé help us achieve the MDGs? Bottled water is totally irrelevant to the needs of the poor. Bottled water damages the environment, pollutes the air, and creates huge amounts of plastic waste. Bottled water commodities drinking water. Nestlé is an unwelcome participant in the struggle for water and sanitation for all.

WWW needs to make space for more of the actors involved in the water sector, not just the same elite club of international water jet-setters who spend their lives in these meetings. Ultimately, this means that governments should assume the responsibility for funding the WWW, allowing it to be clear of the corporate sponsors.

Around the world people have a dream of a better world and a better society where water is a human right and not something they can buy if they afford it. Public Water Operators, workers, activists are important actors in the public-public-partnership to make clean water available for all.
Minister of Water Resources in Austria

Mr Tahsin Qadir Ali, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister for Water Resources, last week visited Austria to meet water management officials and hear about the country’s water sharing and protection policies.

Minister Tahsin said, “We hope to apply in our Region laws and treaties on sharing water resources, as they are successfully applied in European countries.” He added, “We are grateful to the Austrian government for providing us with the opportunity to look at all aspects of Austria’s modern water management strategy.”

Mr Tahsin and his delegation visited the office of water distribution and control in Vienna. Mr Watter Kling, the director, showed them Vienna’s drinking water system and one of the two springs that have supplied the city with fresh water since 1873.

The minister also met Dr Helmut Fleksidar, Austria’s Head of International Water Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, to discuss sewerage, supply, treatment and recycling, and how water is managed between the centre and Austria’s nine federal regions. He outlined the relations between the countries that share the Danube River and other water resources.

Mr Tahsin briefed Austria’s water officials on the KRG’s plans for improving water management. He also raised concerns about the dams and other projects on the upper reaches of the Tigris River. Like the Danube in Europe, the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq share the Tigris River with other countries. He asked for Austrian and European support for the KRG’s efforts to apply international laws and treaties concerning water sharing. Sustainably managing and sharing fresh water, protecting the environment and strengthening the economy were in the interests of all countries, he said.

The minister also attended a water and gas trade fair in the city of Linz and met Mr Harold Schneider, President of the Austrian Association for Gas and Water (OVGW), as well as representatives of some of the water companies at the fair to discuss water investment.

Mr Oskar Smrzka, Austria’s Commercial Counselor to Iraq, accompanied Mr Tahsin, who discussed investment opportunities in the Kurdistan Region with several water companies. The minister also met Ambassador Tarik Akrawi, Iraq’s ambassador to Austria, and Mr Aziz Miran, a Vienna District Councilor representing the Social Democratic Party and of Kurdish origin.

14 south Korean companies visiting Kurdistan

Sunday 22 July 2007. A south Korean delegation has visited the Ministry of Water Resources and received by Mr. Tahsin Kader Ali the KRG Minister of Water Resources, representatives of 14 korean companies attended the meeting. Mr. tahsin kader presented a short brief of the nature of kurdistan and the water resources, he asked them to make investment in water field in kurdistan. Later on 26 July 2007, a Memorandum of agreement has been signed by the MOWR and the Korean companies group for participating the second party in implementing the planed projects for the ministry.

Minister of Water Resources meet the Czech Republic Ambassador

14 June. Mr. Tahisn Qader, the Minister of Water Resources meet the Czech Republic Ambassador in Iraq Mr. Peter Fuznetza. During this meeting, the relationship between KRG and the Czech country has been discussed through supporting the Ministry of Water Resources needs and requirement. The embassador offered the Ministry to send an expert in Water Resources to KRG to help and support the water resources management in Kurdistan. The two parties confirmed their initiative to maintain this relationship for long term.

Two Corresponding Ministries of Water resources-KRG and Iraqi Federal Government

A meeting held in May 2007 in Erbil between the two corresponding ministries senior staff of Water Resources. The most important points discussed were:

1- All water projects (current and strategic) in Kurdistan Region that serve the Iraq in general should be funded by Iraqi Federal Government according to article 114 in Iraq constitution.

2- The Ministry of Water Resources - KRG will support all Iraqi Federal Government's projects in Kurdistan Region through having continues site visits to address any problems may occur during the work.

3- World Bank fund should allocate KRG's share.

4- Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources will support mowr-krg by giving any available data, design studies, surveys and special maps for water projects.

5- Dukan and Darbandikhan Dams maintenance is Iraqi Federal Government responsibility necessary fund should be allocated. 

Minister of Water Resources in Duhok

The second Environment conference about water held in Duhok in 24 April 2007, Mr. Tahsin Qadir Ali, the MOWR has participated in this conference and recited a speech. Click to download the speech.

Minister of Water Resources in Amman

The Minister of Water Resources Mr. Tahsin Qadir Ali participated in the Water conference held in Amman for the periods 15-17 May 2007, the conference was about the "Road to 2050 : Iraq Water". His speech was concentrated in the Tigris river tributaries, "Tigris Tributaries located in Kurdistan region are threatened by the upper reaches countries through building dams and other projects diverting the flow away from these tributaries" , he called for private sectors, UN and other related parties to make strategic projects on These tributaries.... More  

Minister of Water Resources with TTOPCO

7/5/2007. The Minister of Water Resources Mr. Tahsin Qadir meet Mr. Less Blair , the head of the Turkish company named TTOPCO which work in Taq Taq oil fields that need water supply from lesser zab river into the fields, their project needs around 60 000 cubic meters of water supply for putting pump stations. His excellencies promised the company to give all supports to make their project success.