Paper Title
PLANNING FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ

Abstract
TheKurdistan Region suffersfrom critical water shortages,duetoits regional hydro-geological situationand thelikely impact ofglobalclimatechangeon rainfall quantitiesand patterns. Moreover,the adjacentupstreamcountries havebuilt anumberof giant dams and vast irrigationprojects.Additionally, there is an increasein waterdemand dueto agrowingpopulation, improvements in lifequalityand development activities.This combination of conditionswill requirewater resourcemanagers and decision makers to balanceadwindlingsupplywith an escalatingdemand. This paper willreport onand examinethe development andimplementation of a plan forSustainablyManagingWaterResourcesin the Region. The plan was introduced duringJune2012 with a framework to deliver the stated objectives during 2018 and is now proposed to be extended to 2025. Theplanexamined the main challenges, identified the prioritiesandvarious means of realizingthe plan which included increasingwater volume and storage.Thepaper will also report on the outcomesto date as well as the barriers to implementation.Overall, the outcomes show an optimisticpictureof tangible and conceptual achievements so far which includecompletedprojects and imbedding modern management practices. Keywords – WaterResources, Management, Sustainability,Kurdistan Region,Iraq