Risk and Recovery in Iraq

جمهورية العراق اﻷمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء JCMC المركز المشترك للتنسيق والرصد General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center-JCMC Report No. 7 5 August 2018 Risk and Recovery in Iraq Section 1: Risk and Recovery Overview from 1 -31 July 2018 Section II: Emergency Response to Risks Section III: Risk Reduction and Preparedness Section IV: Recovery and Reconstruction Section V: Population Movement: Displacement and Return Section VI: Executive Decisions Section I: Risk and Recovery Overview (1 -31 July 2018) Emergency Response to Risks Salah Governorates Thi Diyala Kirkuk Baghdad Missan Ninewa Sulaimaniya Basra Najaf Babil Diwaniya Muthana Wassit Al Risks Qar din Natural Earthquakes X X X X risks Dam collapse X water supplies X X X X X X Fire X X Technical pollution X X risks Clean water X X X X X X services Poverty X Roads X Biological decomposition X risks of corpses Risk Reduction and Preparedness Threats \ Governorates Kerbela All governorates Biological risk - hemorrhagic fever X Access to basic services - health services X Technical risks - fire X Recovery and Reconstruction Liberated Sector \ Governorates Ninewa Salah al-Din Governorate Health X Agriculture X Livelihood X Water X Demining activities X 1 جمهورية العراق اﻷمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء JCMC المركز المشترك للتنسيق والرصد General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center-JCMC Section II: Emergency Response to Risks Natural hazards - earthquakes Description and scope of the problem: The General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring recorded earthquakes during July, as follows: On 22 July 2018, an earthquake with magnitude of 5.9 degree on the Richter scale took place and felt by citizens in Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Halabja and Diyala - Khanaqin district and some areas of Baghdad governorate. On 24 July 2018, an earthquake with magnitude of 4.5 degree on the Richter scale took place in Khanaqin district, Diyala governorate and felt by citizens in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja. On 26 July 2018, an earthquake with 4.4 degree on the Richter scale, took place 15 kilometers south of Khanaqin district, Diyala governorate. Basic Needs: - Developing engineering and technical criteria for the reduction of structural collapse in areas highly prone to earthquakes. - Promoting awareness of people and preparedness to respond to any threat caused by earthquakes. Technical risks - Infrastructure collapses - Dams Description and scope of the problem: The representative of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center (JCMC) in Basra governorate reported the risk of collapse of the border berm between Iraq and Iran, which used to prevent the flow of Iranian sewage to Shatt al-Arab. At the end of 2017, there was erosion in the dam and therefore a field team under the supervision of the Directorate of Water Resources and Basra Oil Company was appointed to address the erosion in the berm and completed the work on 4/2/2018. A total of 13 km long and a width between 6 m - 8 m maintenance completed, but due to the rise of Iranian sewage, storms and rain in the region, the dam was eroded in a similar manner, and in the same places. A catastrophic humanitarian and environmental disaster is expected in the event of collapse. Summary of response procedures: - The Council of Ministers decided in its session held on 31 July 2018 to allocate 4 four billion Iraqi dinars to the Ministry of Water Resources to achieve urgent and comprehensive maintenance this year to the border, as well as the allocation of 500 million dinars for annual maintenance. The Council also directed the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Health, Environment, Water Resources and the local government in Basra to negotiate immediately with the Iranian side on a joint project to get rid of the threat of polluting Shatt al-Arab or the possibility of the berm collapse of the border. - The JCMC has approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Iranian side to find a radical solution for the drainage of the waters coming into Iraqi territory by opening a drainage channel towards the Shad marshes and from there to the Gulf. In addition, directing 2 جمهورية العراق اﻷمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء JCMC المركز المشترك للتنسيق والرصد General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center-JCMC the relevant government agencies to take the necessary actions to prevent the collapse of the dam. The JCMC had proved the risk of a landslide collapse in its report in March. Proposals submitted by the JCMC representational office in the governorate to address the problem Approaching the following relevant sectors: Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Construction and Public Municipalities, Basrah Petroleum Company, Basra Ports Company, Border Guard Command, and mobilizing an automated and field effort to treat the affected areas as a quick solution to avoid posing danger. Maintaining the dam as required according to a technical study by injecting it with appropriate materials to prevent erosion. Approaching the Iranian side about the need to find a solution for the discharge of the sewage water that flows into the Iraqi territories by opening a drainage channel to the Shadakan marshlands and from there to the Arabian Gulf. Technical risks - water supply Description and scope of the problem: The tidal movement of the sea and climate factors as well as the lack of water in the rivers in Basra governorate sharply increase concentrations of saline in Shatt al-Arab, and this has been continuing since May. The highest levels were registered in Sehan areas with 30.000 ppm while in Abu al-khaseeb (16,000) ppm, in the center of Basra (11.000 ppm), in Kteban (6.000 ppm) and it is about 150 km far from the Gulf. The water of Shatt al-Arab is not anymore suitable for drinking or for agriculture, causing the suspension of all water stations and water desalination. Noteworthy, the salinity of the sea is between 31,000 and 35,000 ppm. Proposals submitted by the representative of the JCMC in the governorate to address the problem Continuing to increase the water retention from the back of Nazem Qal'at Salih at a rate of 7.5 m3 / s and maintain this percentage to push the salinity. Forming a joint operations room among the governorates of Wassit, Missan and Basrah to coordinate with local governments and water resources departments to eliminate trespasses on the Tigris River in order to deliver the planned water quota to the governorate. Approach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Iranian side to open the Karun River as well as halt directing sewage water to the Shatt al-Arab. Work on the implementation of large desalination plants depending on the sea water in the Faw and Umm Qasr and feeding the center of the governorate and districts as well as the nearby areas. Forming a high committee composing of relevant government agencies to accelerate the identification of a planned dam location on Shatt al-Arab to regulate the movement of water and prevent the progress of the saline to Basra. 3 جمهورية العراق اﻷمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء JCMC المركز المشترك للتنسيق والرصد General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center-JCMC Directing the formed committees that are responsible for the British loan for Basrah water to prepare a study and design by adopting radical solutions to the water crisis in Basra and avoid the temporary or patchwork solutions to solve the crisis. Description of activity: The Cabinet allocated 5 billion dinars to the Ministry of Water Resources for the treatment of water shortage and approved the recommendations of the Civil Crisis Management Cell to study the status of pollution in the waters of the Tigris River within the administrative boundaries of Baghdad governorate. The Ministry of Water Resources and related ministries, Diwaniyah, Thi-Qar and Muthanna governorates were granted an exception of the instructions to implement government contracts and instructions for the implementation of the federal budget for emergency works according to each case in the governorates that suffer water pollution in the rivers and water scarcity. Description of activity: The Ministry of Water Resources indicated that the areas where wells can be dug in Wassit Governorate are: Badra, Jassan, Shehabi and some areas of Sheikh Saad to obtain wells suitable for agricultural purposes. The salt content is less than 6.000 mg / L. Salinity in other areas are higher than 10,000 mg / L and are not suitable for domestic and agricultural uses. The ministry also indicated that it has already drilled 255 wells in the mentioned areas within the water points survey project which is suitable for agricultural use. Technical risks - fires Description of the problem: a huge fire inside two stores for motorcycles and spare parts broke out between Beirut Square and the intersection of Al Kindi Hospital in the Rusafa side, Baghdad governorate. Response procedures The Directorate of Civil Defense carried out rapid response operations. The firefighting operations took 6 hours, involving 5 fire teams. There were no casualties. Description and scope of the problem: The JCMC representative in Missan governorate indicated that there is an increase in the number of fires in the marshes of the governorate in general and the Hawizah in particular, which is estimated at 1.373 km 2 and is a protected nature in the UNESCO regulations. The geographical area of the recent fires spread to large areas within the Iraqi-Iranian border because of the vast dry areas of the Marshlands and the inability of the civil defense teams to reach there because it is wet clay land and the absence of specialized mechanisms. The fires continued for several days, leaving clouds of smoke in many cities and the center of the governorate, which negatively affects the health of the population and the environment.

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