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Iran, Iraq hold talks on fighting flood, drought
“We need practical cooperation to manage water scarcity and flood risks,” Mohammad Hajrasouliha, Director of Tehran’s UNESCO-affiliated Regional Centre on Urban Water Management, said after talks with Iraq’s Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, IRNA reported.
The meeting sets the stage for an international workshop on ‘Integrated Flood Management’ scheduled for November 6–8 in Baghdad. The event will gather regional experts to exchange knowledge and coordinate responses to extreme weather events affecting both countries.
Further discussions are planned for the 14th Governing Board meeting of the Regional Centre in Tehran on December 3, where Abdullah is expected to attend.
In a related initiative, Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi, speaking at the 5th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, called for reviving traditional water systems, including qanats and cisterns, using modern science.
“Fair and careful management of water is a moral and religious obligation for present and future generations,” he said.
Iran and Iraq, both facing worsening water stress, are seeking to move beyond technical cooperation toward coordinated regional policies that combine scientific planning with local knowledge.
Hajrasouliha said the talks were “an important step toward shared responsibility and practical solutions for water management” across the region.