LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS Local Area Development Programme in Iraq

Financed by the Implemented European Union by UNDP

PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

BASRA GOVERNORATE

November 2017 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

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FOREWORD BY THE GOVERNOR

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4 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

CONTENT

PSD Basra Governorate

Foreword by the Governor ...... 3 Content ...... 5 List of Figures ...... 7 List of Tables ...... 8 Abbreviations ...... 9 Introduction ...... 11 1. Purpose of the PDS ...... 11 2. Organisation of the PDS...... 11 3. Methodology ...... 11 4. PDS development process ...... 12 I. Context ...... 15 1. Location and administrative division ...... 15 2. Geography and natural resources ...... 16 2.1. Geology and soil parent material ...... 16 2.2. Surface features ...... 17 2.3. Climate...... 17 2.4. Groundwater resources ...... 17 2.5. Surface water resources ...... 18 2.6. Arable land ...... 21 3. Environment ...... 21 3.1. Overview of the ecological situation ...... 21 3.2. Mesopotamian marshes – history, status and importance of Al Ahwar ...... 22 3.3. Freshwater wetlands in Basra ...... 25 3.4. Jabal Senam ...... 27 3.5. Marine environment ...... 27 4. History ...... 28 4.1. Historical significance ...... 28 4.2. Recent history ...... 29 II. Social profile ...... 31 1. Population ...... 31 2. IDPs ...... 32 3. Living conditions ...... 33 4. Social protection ...... 34 5. Civil rights and citizen engagement ...... 36 III. Economic profile ...... 37 1. Economic development ...... 37 2. Oil and gas ...... 38 3. Industry...... 39 4. Sea transport ...... 41 5. Agriculture ...... 41 6. Tourism ...... 43 IV. Public service delivery ...... 44 1. Transport network ...... 44 2. Drinking water supply ...... 47 3. Wastewater management ...... 49 4. Municipal services – waste management ...... 51 5. Electricity service ...... 53 6. Communications ...... 54

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7. Housing ...... 55 8. Education...... 55 8.1. Pre-school education (kindergartens) ...... 56 8.2. Primary education ...... 56 8.3. Secondary education ...... 57 8.4. Vocational education ...... 57 8.5. Higher education...... 57 9. Healthcare ...... 58 V. Governance ...... 59 1. Local governance bodies ...... 59 2. Governorate budget ...... 59 VI. SWOT analysis ...... 61 Economic Development ...... 61 Social Services ...... 61 Basic Services ...... 63 VII. Strategic objectives ...... 65 VIII. Programmes (priority areas for development) ...... 66 1. Programme 1: Improve the transport network ...... 66 2. Programme 2: Improve the electricity service ...... 68 3. Programme 3: Improve the water supply service ...... 70 4. Programme 4: Improve wastewater management ...... 72 5. Programme 5: Improve municipal services ...... 74 6. Programme 6: Develop the telecommunications service ...... 76 7. Programme 7: Encourage investment and industry development ...... 77 8. Programme 8: Strengthen the agriculture sector ...... 79 9. Programme 9: Develop the tourism sector ...... 82 10. Programme 10: Improve health services quality and access ...... 84 11. Programme 11: Improve social protection...... 85 12. Programme 12: Improve education quality and access ...... 87 13. Programme 13: Improve higher education quality ...... 90 14. Programme 14: Strengthen good governance ...... 91 IX. Implementation of the PDS ...... 94 1. Implementing structures ...... 94 2. Monitoring and evaluation ...... 94 3. Financial resources ...... 94 Sources ...... 95

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Basra Governorate on Iraq’s administrative map 15 Figure 2 Administrative map of Basra Governorate 16 Figure 3 Climograph and temperature graph, Basra city 17 Figure 4 Study area of the New Eden Master Plan 24 Figure 5 Change in marsh cover following reflooding: peak (2006) and decrease in result of drought (2009/10) 24 Figure 6 Contract areas for oil exploration in the marsh areas 25 Figure 7 Population distribution of Basra by age group and urban/rural, 2015 (COSIT) 31 Figure 8 Share of urban/rural population per qadha, Basra province (COSIT) 32 Figure 9 Education attainment levels in Basra and Iraq (10y+), 2012 (COSIT) 34 Figure 10 Estimation of distribution of sector GDP of Basra (% of total, 2010) 37 Figure 11 Unemployment and labour market participation, 2003–2012 (%) 38 Figure 12 Distribution of paid employees (15y+) by sector, 2011 38 Figure 13 Decline in palm trees from 1952 to 2016 42 Figure 14 Students enrolled in primary schools (public, private, religious) in Basra province, 2014/15 (COSIT) 56 Figure 15 Students who dropped out of primary school in Basra province, 2011/12–2014/15 (COSIT) 57

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Administrative division of Basra Governorate 15 Table 2 Planned hydraulic structures in Basra province 20 Table 3 Non-arable land and land suitable for cultivation, 2016 21 Table 4 Ecological, social and economic relevance of the marshes 24 Table 5 Population distribution in Basra (2016) 31 Table 6 Distribution of urban and rural population in Basra by administrative unit 32 Table 7 Persons who changed their place of residence in Iraq and Basra by reason, 2011 (%) 32 Table 8 Palm Tree Cultivation Plan 42 Table 9 Fishing indicators 42 Table 10 Roads and bridges 44 Table 11 Road density per qadha 45 Table 12 Street pavement in the districts 45 Table 13 Water treatment infrastructure in Basra province 48 Table 14 Drinking water sources in Iraq and Basra (2014) 48 Table 15 Urban coverage of water service (% of population) 49 Table 16 Wastewater treatment plants in Basra Governorate (1) 49 Table 17 Wastewater pumping stations (rainwater, sewage, combined) in Basra Governorate 50 Table 18 Sewer network coverage in Basra Governorate 50 Table 19 Solid waste disposed of in landfills 53 Table 20 Education building needs gap analysis (all levels), 2015/16 56 Table 21 Vocational education in Basra province, 2011/12–2014/15 (COSIT) 57 Table 22 Students enrolled in initial university studies, 2014/15 (COSIT) 57

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ABBREVIATIONS bpd Barrels of crude oil per day COSIT Central Organisation for Statistics and Information Technology (Iraq) CSOs Civil Society Organisations CU Compact Unit type WTP EMD East Main Drain GSP Governance Strengthening Programme, Iraq (USAID) HE/HEI Higher education/Higher Education Institution IDP Internally displaced person ISIL Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (aka ISIS) Law 21 Law of Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region – aka. Provincial Powers Act (2008) LPG Liquefied petroleum gas MOD Main Outfall Drain MoCH Ministry of Construction and Housing (Iraq) MoCT Ministry of Communications and Transport (Iraq) MoCHPMW Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works (Iraq) MoE Ministry of Education (Iraq) MoHESR Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Iraq) MoLSA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Iraq) MoMPW Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works (Iraq) MoP Ministry of Planning (Iraq) MoWR Ministry of Water Resources (Iraq) MoYS Ministry of Youth and Sports (Iraq) PDS Provincial Development Strategy (5-year plan) PPDC Provincial Planning and Development Council PwD Person with disability RO Desalination unit/ Reverse osmosis type WTP SWC Sweet Water Canal TDS Total dissolved solids UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UNWTO World Tourism Organisation (United Nations agency) USAID United States Agency for International Development WTP Water treatment plant (conventional) WWTP Wastewater treatment plant

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10 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

INTRODUCTION

1. Purpose of the PDS

This Provincial Development Strategy (PDS) sets a framework for actions to be taken by Basra Governorate, with support from the central authorities and international donors, toward development of the province. . It provides provincial authorities with an instrument to help them:  Better monitor the planning and prioritisation of development actions;  Coordinate the efforts of international donors – given the limited resources of the national and provincial budget; and  Better recognise what additional technical support they need. . Conversely, the PDS is a very useful document for any international organisation or potential investor to get basic knowledge of the governorate and what are their immediate plans for projects.

Thus, through the PDS, Basra Governorate will become the leading partner in its development process and it will proactively pursue its objectives – including through implementation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and cooperation with the international donors, investors and the local community.

The PDS is a living and evolving document that will be periodically reviewed and updated as required. As Basra Governorate moves forward in addressing pressing developmental issues, it will be more important than ever to ensure that the efforts of government and international agencies are synchronised and leveraged as part of a holistic and sustainable response to evolving needs and priorities.

2. Organisation of the PDS

The PDS consists of two main integral parts – baseline study and strategic part: . The baseline study reviews the situation in three strategic areas: (1) community development, (2) economic development, and (3) provision of public services. For each strategic area, a number of indicators have been researched in order to provide a full picture of the conditions in the governorate. . Based on the baseline study, the strategic part includes: SWOT analysis; a list of identified strategic objectives; a list of identified priority areas for development (programmes); a list of indicative measures (actions/projects) per each programme. the latter address investments, buildings and roads, but they also include a number of soft projects addressing improvements of the economic and social environment. There is an attempt to balance between infrastructure, socio-economic impact and institution building of the governorate administration. This allows the implementation to start immediately and adequately.

3. Methodology

Traditionally in Iraq the planning process has been highly centralised. In some cases, strategic planning in the post-Baathist period was completed by external consultants, with little involvement of local government officials, and therefore little commitment to implementation.

Conversely, LADP supports the development of a participatory planning approach to formulate prioritised objectives and strategies to address the key security, governance, economic, and social challenges that the target governorates are facing (Basra, Missan, Muthanna, Diwaniah1). Through the participatory approach several goals are achieved: help strengthen democracy; reduce corruption; limit differences among various political and ethnic groups; and empower citizens by promoting greater interaction between stakeholders within communities. Participatory planning creates a fair process to prioritise development and implementation of projects and fosters a sense of ownership of development programmes.

1 Former Qadessyiah.

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Therefore, the development of PDSs under LADP has followed the Community Based Strategic Planning methodology (CBSP). . Strategic planning. Strategic planning was the selected approach because it differs from the traditional model of comprehensive planning in several important ways:  Strategic planning is pro-active. Through the strategic planning process, the community seeks to shape its future – not just prepare for it;  Strategic planning focuses only on the critical strategic issues and directs resources to the highest priority activities. Setting priorities is necessary because the resources available to the local government (governorate) are less than the demands on them. By contrast, comprehensive planning covers all activities that must be done without indicating which ones are the most important;  Strategic planning is led by those tasked to implement the resultant strategic plan; it entails ownership. By contrast, a comprehensive plan prescribes who should implement it but it does not require the inclusion of those entities in the strategic planning process. . Community-based planning. Community involvement strengthens strategic planning in several ways:  Transparency: While the strategic plan establishes priority areas for development, it has political as well as economic dimensions. Community involvement contributes to a transparent process.  Implementation/resource mobilisation. Community involvement promotes the plan implementation. Beyond government resources, it helps mobilise the resources of the community toward achieving the economic goals. Successful strategic planning involves the entities that will be tasked with the implementation of the plan.  Support and credibility: Participation of community leaders in plan development gives the resulting plan credibility in the community. Consensus among Project Steering Committee members promotes a community consensus in support of the Plan.

4. PDS development process

The development of PDS following CBSP methodology entails the process of (1) establishment of a coordination group, (2) collection of baseline information, and (3) identification of strategic areas of intervention by involving relevant stakeholders.

With regard to data, PDSs were prepared based on information collected from different sources in Iraq – mainly information provided by the Governorates’ different Departments. Where there was lack of data from Iraqi/governorate sources, authoritative data sources (WB, UNDP, etc.) were consulted and assumptions were made in order to formulate the problems and to allow addressing these with tailored solutions.

The main areas of intervention for development (community development, economic development, and provision of public services) were identified based on detailed research on the current situation in each governorate, and on initial meetings with the established Steering Committee and Technical Group for PDS preparation (2016). Three Working Groups (one per priority area) were established. All projects per priority area were identified through workshops and consultations by the working groups with support from the experts.

Two key concept are embedded in the CBSP methodology: on-the-job-training and learning-by-doing. These two concepts have been streamlined throughout the process of PDS preparation – from the first meetings with the Steering Committee until the completion of the PDS. E.g. Basra Governorate staff and other stakeholders have benefited from trainings and support from the LADP experts; while people from the governorate involved in the preparation of the PDS have contributed information and findings. Specifically, in 2016-2017 Basra officials, business people, representatives of NGOs and civil society attended a number of workshops and trainings learning how to run a planning process and how to apply planning tools – SWOT, Log Frame approach, problem tree, goal tree, etc. – to help them to identify issues and prioritise them.

With regard to scope, a Provincial/Local Development Strategy (PDS) targets economic development – but development itself includes a number of other elements, particularly education, health, WASH, democratic and social institutions and processes, citizen involvement in decision making (citizen participation) and geopolitical and physical context. Therefore, the preparation of the PDSs has sought to account for: (1) inputs – e.g. the EU Cohesion Policy defines PDSs as "area-based integrated strategies mobilising a large number of local stakeholders using specific methods, such as partnership”; (2) outputs – the explicit objectives pursued by the strategy, which are crucial for the local partners, specifically in terms of socio-economic results and better living

12 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS conditions; and (3) long-term objectives and the structural change that can be achieved – i.e. the developmental dimension of the strategy.

The PDS preparation has also built on the provincial development strategies for the previous planning period, while the provincial governments articulated their new vision and mission for the next five years. As such, the PDSs also respond to the three major challenges to socio-economic development in Iraq: continued reduction of poverty; improving transparency and accountability and promoting good governance; and local economic development and creation of work opportunities

The thirteen-step approach to Community-Based Strategic Planning has been integrated into all main activities in the course of the preparation of the Provincial Development Strategies.

13-step CBSP process 1. Initiate process and make decision on strategic planning activity; 2. Organise the Public-Private Strategic Planning Task Force (Steering Committee); 3. Develop vision of the economic and social future of the province in the next planning period; 4. Identify stakeholders (stakeholders management); 5. Develop and analyse baseline data – including, in parallel:  Collect data on socio-economic trends;  Collect data on key industries;  Collect data on economic development infrastructure; and  Conduct business survey; 6. Conduct SWOT Analysis; 7. Identify strategic issues; 8. Identify critical strategic issues; 9. Establish Action Groups around critical strategic issues; 10. Apply Logical Framework Approach (LFA):  Develop a problem tree;  Develop an objective tree (and identify strategic objectives);  Build Log Frame Planning Matrix for each activity; 11. Develop Action Plans to address critical strategic issues; 12. Integrate Action Plans into PDS (this document); 13. Prepare Plan for implementation, evaluation and updating the PDS (remains to be done).

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I. CONTEXT

1. Location and administrative division

Basra is the southernmost governorate of Iraq. With an area of 19 070 km2, Basra occupies 4.4% of total area of Iraq. It has joint administrative borders with (S–>N) Missan, Thi-Qar and Muthanna governorates; and it has joint international borders with Iran to the East and the State of Kuwait to the South. To the southeast, Basra is located on the Arab Gulf where the Shatt al- Arab river empties the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates.

The governorate is strategically and economically important: it is home to 7.2% of Iraq’s population (2 602 577 people in 2015); it holds significant proportion of Iraq’s oil reserves; and it hosts the country’s sole sea access and shipping hub.

The provincial capital Basra city concentrates the majority of the urban population; Basra is located at 540 km from Baghdad, 170 km from Ahwaz in Iraq, and 170 km from Kuwait City. The southwestern part of the governorate is mainly arid and barely inhabited. Basra shares part of the Al Ahwar marshland with Thi Qar and Missan, and it shares the desert with Muthanna.

Basra Governorate is sub-divided into 7 qadhas – Basra, Abu Al-Khaseeb, Al-Zubair, Al-Qurna, Al-Faw, Shat al- Arab and Al-Midaina – and 15 nahias, as follows (Table 1, Figure 2):

Table 1 Administrative division of Basra Governorate Qadha Nahia (QC=Qadha Centre) Nahias (15) Al-Basra (Basra) Basra QC, Al-Hartha 2 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 1 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC, Safwan, Um Qasr 3 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC, Al-Dair, Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 3 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 1 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC, Al-Nashwa 2 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC, Iz-Eldeen Salim, Talha (Al-Sadiq) 3

Figure 1 Basra Governorate on Iraq’s administrative map

Legend: Yellow – Basra; Beige – KRG-controlled areas; Stripes – contested areas

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Figure 2 Administrative map of Basra Governorate

Legend: Orange border – Qadha, Grey border – Nahia; QC=Qadha Centre; blue lines – main waterways

2. Geography and natural resources

2.1. Geology and soil parent material

From geomorphological point of view, Basra Governorate is placed in the extreme SE field of Mesopotamian Plain, at the border with the nations of Iran and Kuwait. To the north-east of this Region, there is the confluence between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. The region is characterized mostly by a fertile alluvial plain (the ancient “Mesopotamian plain”) and, in its western part, by the desert. This plain extends from Wadi Tharthar in the NW to the Arabian Gulf in the SE. It is bounded by Euphrates River to the Arabian Gulf in the west and the Makhul-Hermin-Pesh-i-Kuh anticlinal range in the east. It contains widespread Quaternary of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The geology of the Mesopotamian Plain is produced by a complex system of river channels, levees, flood plain, marshes, river mouths, bordered on both sides by alluvial fans. The area of Basra province is part of stable shelf; most of the deposits are constituted by alluvial depression filling and marsh deposits, deposits of estuarine sabkha, alluvial fan and Pleistocene-Tigris gravel fan. This zone was probably uplifted during Hercynian deformation and subsided from Late Permian onward. The sedimentary column of this zone thickens to the east.

In general the Mesopotamian Plain was, from the Plio-Pleistocene to the present, a vast subsiding sedimentary basin in which relatively thick Quaternary sediments accumulated. The major rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, transported the bulk of sedimentary load although the contribution by the Diyala and Adhaim Rivers in Central Iraq and the Karun River in SE Iraq is also significant.

The rate of sedimentation in the Basra zone from 8000-4000 years ago, was higher at present time. The Tigris and Euphrates here deposited a sequence of deltaic brackish/marine deposits 4-8 m thick. After the retreat of

16 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS the sea ca. 4000 years ago, the coastlines of the deltas of the Tigris and Euphrates were located at Amara and Nasiriya. The salt contaminated land needed desalinization before it could be used for agricultural purposes.

This area of Southern Mesopotamia was a wide lagoon or embayment until ca. 3000 years ago. Low-energy depositional conditions are indicated by laminated mud units in the basal parts of most pit sections and of cores in the surface marshes. The connection of this embayment to the sea is proven by the occurrence of foraminifera and brackish water ostracods.

The fluvial influence of the Tigris and Euphrates was apparently negligible since most of their sediments were deposited further north. Sedimentation from the Karun and Karkha rivers to the E of Shatt Al-Arab and from the W alluvial fan of Wadi Al-Batin, created a lateral barrier across the alluvial plains of Mesopotamia in the South. This barrier isolated southern Mesopotamia from the open Gulf. The joining of the Euphrates with the Tigris at Qurna, after the retreat of the sea and then a creation of the Shatt Al-Arab channel, has been attributed to local neotectonic effects, but it could also have been caused by normal deltaic sediment compaction.

2.2. Surface features

The terrain of Basra province includes (1) the southern part of the sedimentary plain and (2) the southern part of the western plateau. . The sedimentary plain occupies the eastern part of the province over an area of 9010 km2 (25.5% of the province). The area is flat, with gradual NS slope. Elevations reach 4.5 m.a.s.l. in the north and 0.5 m.a.s.l. in the south of the province. The majority of people’s activities take place in this area. . The western plateau stretches in the western part of the province over an area of 10 059 km2 (52.8% of the province). Elevation increases gradually to the west, reaching 12 m.a.s.l at Al-Zubair and 250 m.a.s.l near the borders with Saudi Arabia. In these regions, valleys and lowland such as Safwan, Rumaila, Rafidiya increase. These valleys and lowlands are considered the best agricultural areas in the province due flow and accumulation of rainwater. Also, there is a considerable rate of mud and alluvium which has contributed to cultivating different kind of crops such as tomato. . Bodies of water currently cover 1467 km2 due to reclamation of 733 km2 for agricultural land.

2.3. Climate Figure 3 Climograph and temperature graph, Basra city2 Basra has warm desert climate (BWh by Köppen-Geiger), with hot summers and cool- to-warm winters, and virtually no precipitation. In Basra city, the average annual temperature is 24.3°C; the annual precipitation is only 152 mm. Most of the Euphrates basin is subject to a subtropical and semi-dry climate, with high evaporation rates in the south (10–17 ml/d in summer). Precipitation occurs in Oct–March and reaches maximum in Dec–Feb.

Basra province has 4 meteorological stations, which provide rainfall data series as follows: Al Faw (1935–1980 monthly), Basra (1900–2008 monthly; 2000-2001 daily), Al Qurna (2011– 2012 daily), Al Barjasiyah (2000-2012 daily).

2.4. Groundwater resources

In Basra Governorate, the hydrogeological conditions are determined by geological, climatic, morphological and hydrographic factors. Geological factors determine the geometry (extent and thickness), porosity and permeability of aquifers and aquitards. Lithological variations and structural conditions control the hydrogeological environment affecting groundwater flow and accumulation.

2 Climate-Data.org https://en.climate-data.org/location/4555.

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With regard to availability, upstream the confluence with Diyala River, and in its left banks, the Tigris drains the groundwater in dry periods, while changes its character in wet periods when it feeds the groundwater aquifers. In the west part, in the Euphrates Boundary Faults zone, a long belt of springs exists between Karbala and Samawa. In the all Mesopotamian Plain, both Tigris (south of Baghdad) and Euphrates rivers are influent in dry periods with a prevailing regional flow from Euphrates to Tigris. Groundwater depth is shallow in the province, generally a few meters deep in the northern sector (towards Mesopotamian Plain) and up to 100-150 m deep in the southern sector (towards Southern Desert).

The groundwater quality is generally very poor and unsuitable for human consumption. In the entire province, the groundwater cannot be used as drinking water because the salinity is higher than 1 g/l (maximum allowable value for potable water) – except for one small negligible area in the south of province. The predominant type is a chloride water with a southern zone of sulphate water of transitional chloride-sulphate type. The high salinity sodium chloride brine within the South-Eastern part of the Plain is probably a result of the natural progression of long-distance groundwater movement into a semi-closed stagnant basin. The groundwater composition is also influenced by seepage from surface watercourses and reservoirs and is relatively fresh. Beneath this shallow fresh water lies highly mineralized salt water with salinity of many tens of g/l.

2.5. Surface water resources

All water used for water supply purposes in Basra province comes from surface water sources. All the main towns are located close to a river or a canal from which raw water is abstracted. The main water surface sources are the Shatt Al Arab River and a whole network of canals and tributaries that are mostly concentrated in the northern part of the Governorate. The surface water resources of Basra Governorate are the rivers and canals, the Al Ahwar marshes, and the Arabian Gulf.

Water availability

The rivers, canals and marshes in the province are part of a very complex hydraulic system, including not only the national area, but also Turkish, Syrian and Iranian regions: the main Iraqi water bodies (Tigris and Euphrates above all) derive supplies from rainfalls from Turkish and Syrian mountains, and especially, water releases from the regulation structures (storage reservoirs, dams) of Turkey and Syria. The Iraqi hydraulic system is largely regulated, according to management rules that have brought in recent years, a significant reduction of flooding events of water bodies. The availability of water has also become a problem due to channelling and diversion of streams from their natural courses. . Both the Tigris and the Euphrates enter the deltaic marshlands area of the watershed at the northwest side of Basra province. Past the city of Kut, the Tigris enters a large agricultural plain around the city of Amara, and at the location of the Amara barrage it splits in several branches feeding the marshland system (i.e. Central Marsh and Huweizah Marsh). The Euphrates creates a complicated micro-water system, characterized by a dense network of canals (some of the canals are manmade and others are natural) crossing the entire region downstream of Nasiriya; while the main reach flows in the eastern direction in the marshes area towards the Tigris, some other reaches feed Hammar Marsh. . Shatt Al Arab forms at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers near the town of Qurna and flows into the Gulf downstream of the city of Al-Faw. The water contribution to the Shatt Al Arab was in the past mainly from the Tigris, the Euphrates and the Karun, but presently, the new Euphrates cross embankment upstream of Midaina and the limited flow from the Karun river leaves the Tigris as the only main tributary. The outfall part of the Shatt Al Arab is a fairly inaccessible tidal marsh. Here, the river forms an estuary about 3 km wide, where many water bodies crossing or passing by. . About 70 km upstream of Al Faw, the Shatt Al Arab receives Karun River on the left bank. Ca. 6 km downstream from the confluence of the rivers, Swaib River joins Shatt Al Arab on the left bank. The Swaib river originates in Hawizeh Marsh. Downstream, the right bank of the river receives water flowing through channels from Hammar Marsh. . The largest channels are the Garmat Ali Channel and Shafi channels. Shafi channel flows into Shatt Al Arab 20 km downstream of the confluence; Garmat Ali Channel (ca. 15 km long) flows into the river 3 km upstream of the town of Basra. . On the west side of Basra Governorate flow the Main Outfall Drain (MOD); it is a drainage channel, conveying to the Shatt Al Basra the drainage water of most of the irrigation projects in the middle reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates. As a temporary measure, the MOD discharge part of its water into Hammar

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Marsh from where it could reach the Shatt Al Arab via the Garmat Ali. A dike is presently maintaining the Shatt Al Arab disconnected with the Hammar Marsh. . The Sweet Water Canal (SWC) flows in the west part of the province; this canal takes fresh water from the Tigris to Basra via the Gharraf river. The canal itself poses no flood threat but its levees provide protection to potential floods coming from the north part of Hammar Marsh. The Sweet Water Canal (SWC) was constructed as an open channel and carries raw water from the Gharraf river at Bada’a to the R-Zero terminal, close to Basra International Airport. The construction of the SWC started in 1992, and the canal was put into operation in 1997. . Shatt Al Basra is a river formerly connected to the Shatt Al Arab and to Hammar Marsh flowing towards south, into the Gulf. It is the main channel in Zubair area.

Historically, Shatt Al Arab has been the main source for water supply in Basra. Previously, both the Tigris and the Euphrates carried, on average, more than 70 billion m3 of flow per year, discharging it to the Gulf through the Shatt Al Arab waterway. In flood times more than 100 billion m3 were discharged through Shatt Al Arab. An estimated 5 billion m3 came through the Karun river into the Shatt Al Arab. This sustained inflow of fresh water through the river systems in Southern Iraq was largely responsible for the creation of the Mesopotamian marshlands. The marshes played a significant role in purifying flood waters and sustaining the supply of clean water in the Southern Iraq region as well as moderating the extreme temperatures in summertime, therefore, reducing the demand for fresh water.

In the last years, the amount of water that reaches the downstream part of the Iraqi network decreased significantly because of the construction of dams and other structures in the upstream part and in the riparian countries.3 The most impacted region is the lower part of the catchment in the Governorate of Basra. Therefore, the availability of surface water has decreased significantly.

Water quality

The river system is tidal in and around Basra due to its proximity to the Gulf. In the past, the sustained inflow of fresh water from the Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries prevented the intrusion of salt water, and the inhabitants of the Governorate enjoyed good quality water from Shatt Al Arab throughout the region. However, the second half of the 20th c. witnessed changes in the hydrology – above all damming upstream of Basra (in Iraq, Turkey, Syria) and drainage of the marshes.

Starting in 1991, within less than a decade, 90% of the Mesopotamian Marshes were drained in the immediate vicinity of Basra governorate. This caused catastrophic environmental and economic damage in the southern Iraq; it drove significant deterioration of the quality of water flowing in Shatt Al Arab and the interconnected streams; and it increased demand for fresh water. The operation of the SWC (since 1997) has improved the quality of drinking water in Basra and the SWC has become the main source for low-TDS raw water supply in the region.

Nevertheless, TDS values4 have been increasing in most surface water sources during the last decade - showing that salinisation has been increasing: as a result of the draining of the marshes and flow reduction, but also due to pollution from domestic, industrial and agricultural activities along the course of the rivers. The increasing salinization in river water and soils is, for the most part, attributed to the advancement of water utilization in the upper basins of the rivers. Increasing use of water in the upper basins has reduced the discharge of the Shat Al Arab River and deteriorated its quality by discharging highly saline wastewater. The Basra region great potential for development of irrigated agriculture; but the increasing salinization of water and soil resources on prime agricultural land hinder this opportunity.

Understanding the source and cause of increasing salinization in the Shatt Al Arab and, consequently, the possible solution to the problem, has been central to planning since the 1970s. A recent study5 has confirmed the conclusions made by both the 1981 Service Feasibility Report and the 2006 New Eden Project, i.e.:

3 Basra Stuctural Plan 2013 Phase I – analysis part. 4 Total Dissolved Solids [TDS - mg/l] is the main water quality parameter and measure of salinity (conservative parameter). It is a measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in molecular, ionized or micro-granular suspended form. TDS refers to any minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions dissolved in water - including inorganic salts (salt, calcium, magnesium, sulphates, etc.) and organic matter. TDS is a conservative parameter. Other important parameters are pH, phosphates (PO4), and nitrates (NO3) (non conservative parameters). The Ministry of Environment carries out measurements once per month. 5 Study carried out in 2011, under a contract between MoWR and a Consortium led by MED Ingegneria s.r.l. (MED) of Italy and including SGI Studio Galli S.p.A. (SGI) of Italy and EL CONCORDE LLC (ECCL) of Jordan (the Consultant) to prepare a detailed design and tender documents for the construction of the Shatt Al Arab Irrigation Project. (Source: Basra Structural Plan 2013)

19 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

. Under the present hydrological conditions (an average flow rate of 50 m3/s over the past 3 years at Basra), the increased salinization in the Basra region is not related to the seawater intrusion. A barrage is not needed if such minimum flow can be guaranteed at Basra in the future. In the event that such a minimum flow cannot be guaranteed, then a barrage might be the only solution to prevent saline water from penetrating into Basra and traveling upstream as far as the tidal effects are felt along the rivers. The best location proposed to place a barrage to stop salinity intrusion is just upstream of the proposed port in Al-Faw. . The solution to water salinization along Shatt Al Arab cannot be achieved by simply constructing a barrage; other additional infrastructure will need to be built in the region, and irrigation drains upstream need to be improved and properly operated. The additional required structures are:  East Main Drain (EMD) to divert drainage water from Shatt Al Arab and Swaib at times when the water quality from the river cannot be guaranteed;  Drainage and sewage network in Basra city;  Wastewater treatment infrastructure to treat wastewater discharge from all major industries located along the river;  Permanent structure to divert water from Hammar Marshes to Shatt Al Basra during low flow conditions of the Euphrates.

In addition, the study has found that: . From time to time, salinization of the river system around Basra has been caused by industrial and urban discharges (i.e. they are of anthropic nature). Several large factories located along the Shatt Al Arab both on the Iraqi and Iranian side are known to discharge processed waters. Such phenomenon is hardly constant and cannot always be correlated with decreasing flows along the River (i.e., some of the lowest total dissolved solids, TDS, concentrations were measured during some of the lowest inflows). . The city of Basra itself operates several natural creeks as combined open sewages and storm drains. This system of natural canals is, for the most part, closed from the Shatt Al Arab River during low tides. Consequently, due to the lack of adequate and regular fluxing, stagnant and heavily polluted water poses a serious health threat to local inhabitants. From time to time, such canals are eventually washed out into the Shatt Al Arab dispersing high concentrations of pollutants and salts into slow flowing waters. . The Kharun River is not a likely cause of increased salinization measured in Basra. The contribution of the Kharun has been drastically reduced in recent years. . There is a potential for groundwater to interact with the River system in the vicinity of Basra. Groundwater in the region has non-negligible salinity (5000-10 000 mg/l) and can be found at rather shallow depths (<2 m). In the event that groundwater interacts dynamically with the river, it is possible that some of the salt components found in surface water to enter the groundwater system. . In the event that the Shatt al Arab River will receive no water from upstream, salinity from the Sea will reach Basra due to diffusion processes driven by the tidal influence.

Accordingly, a number of hydraulic structures have been in the process of implementation in the governorate (see Table 2).

Table 2 Planned hydraulic structures in Basra province6 Infrastructure project Status Hammar Marsh outlet gate Ongoing Hawizeh Marsh outlet gate Ongoing Dual box type navigational water gate on the forehead of Aldabon River Ongoing Navigational water gate on the left side of Al Shafi Canal Ongoing Swaib water gate Completed 5 water gates on the left of the Euphrates Completed

6 Basra Structural Plan 2013.

20 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

2.6. Arable land

Table 3 Non-arable land and land suitable for cultivation, 2016 Qadha Agricultural Division Non-arable land (donums*) Area suitable for cultivation *1 donum = 2500 m2 donums % of total Al-Basra Al-Hartha 47 190 46 417 0.9% Al-Zubair Safwan 157494 60 020 1.2% Al-Zubair 7821 3 745 210 72.0% Al-Qurna Al-Qurna 121 851 151 199 2.9% Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 62 246 163 904 3.2% Al-Dair 315 451 82 250 1.6% Al-Midaina Talha (Al-Sadiq) 5231 49 743 1.0% Iz-Eldeen Salim 130 000 120 000 2.3% Al-Midaina 224 920 69 850 1.3% Shat Al-Arab Al-Nashwa 11 308 216 622 4.2% Shat Al-Arab 175 576 430 824 8.3% Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb 106 710 20 488 0.4% Al-Faw Al-Faw 446 823 28 500 0.5% Al-Seeba 242 731 17 968 0.3% Basra Governorate total 2 055 352 5 202 995 100%

3. Environment

3.1. Overview of the ecological situation

Basra province presents four ecoregions. All four belong to the Palearctic Realm of terrestrial ecosystems. They share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics; and they interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence. The ecoregions are: . Tigris-Euphrates alluvial salt marsh in the north of the province. It presents with Freshwater lakes, swamps and marshes surrounded by desert and savannas. The region is priority area for globally threatened migratory and resident birds. This is one of the most important wintering areas for migratory birds in Eurasia; internationally important wintering concentrations exist of at least 22 species (and possibly up to 70 species) of wintering waterfowl. The marshes are also exceedingly important as spawning ground for fish from the Gulf. The ecological status of this ecoregion is “critical/endangered”- the main threats are from hydrology modifications, reduced water inflow, salt from irrigated lands, pollution (from industry, settlements, and regional conflict); . South-Iran Nubo-sindian desert and semi-desert in the south-east of the province. This presents with vast desert wilderness, with shrublands in some areas; enormous variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. Animals that inhabit these scrubby grasslands have adapted to life in harsh conditions. Its ecological status is “critical/endangered”; . Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert – small area in the very south-centre of the province, at the juncture of Shat al-Arab and the coast. This presents with a low desert plain punctuated by red-brown dunes. This region, though dry and sparsely vegetated, harbours some important areas of wildlife habitat; and . Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands - this is the dominant ecoregion over most of the territory west of Shat al-Arab. It presents with desert and xeric shrubland areas and large biodiversity. Its ecological status is “critical/endangered” – the main threats are from overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human destruction of habitat.

Below in this chapter we take an in-depth look into the key areas – such as the marshes.

The ecological situation in the province depends primarily on pollution from production activities (especially oil refinery) and poor management of wastewater and solid waste. In general, problems in these areas lead to adverse environmental impacts.

Currently, the most significant source of pollution of the various elements of the environment in Basra province is the production and transport of oil. This occurs mainly through: . Penetration of large quantities of crude oil into territories adjacent to the mining areas . Residues of petroleum buffers in the extraction zones . Large oil leaks from the tankers pipes . Releasing crude oil from the pipeline along Faw--Hamdan road

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. Leaking from the gas tanks at the refinery in Basra . Non-processing of gas and vapour emissions . Illegally built pipeline through the marshlands (without environmental impact assessment) for the export of sunflower oil.

Additionally: . Air pollution is mainly caused by oil and gas production, as well as by the poor quality of road infrastructure maintenance in cities and green areas; . Soil pollution is due to both oil and gas production and heavy salinity and the lack of a built-up waste collection and disposal system - domestic and industrial; . There is evidence of radioactive contamination - mainly in Basra and the western part of the governorate; . Water pollution is caused both by oil and gas production and by the severely limited sewage system and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs); . The main problems of marshes are related to drying, water pollution from oil production and overfishing.

Basra Governorate has a vision to achieve in the province – through developing service provision and cooperation between citizens and the government – an environment that is clean, free from all forms of pollution and creates positive effects on the overall health of individuals and society.

Services related to the protection of the environment are provided by the territorial Directorate of the Ministry of Health and the Environment. The Directorate conducts environmental impact assessment of investment projects in various economic sectors – industry, agriculture, and controls the goods and materials entering the ports. The Directorate controls the radiological background on the territory of the province. It is responsible for tracking the status of the territories included in the World Heritage List. The Directorate is engaged with CSOs in all its activities in the field of environmental education and environmental awareness among segments of society in all fields.

3.2. Mesopotamian marshes – history, status and importance of Al Ahwar

In central and northern Iraq, most of the natural freshwater lakes and marshes, that once formed the large Mesopotamia Marshlands complex, have long since been drained for agricultural purposes, although significant remnants still survived in the Little Zab Valley and around Baquba in the Diyala Valley. The valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates have been extensively modified for agricultural use: most of the original riparian forest which once lined the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has been replaced by orchards and other cultivated land.

Downstream of Kut, the Tigris and Euphrates split into many branches and form an interior delta and the once huge complex of southern Iraqi marshlands (Mesopotamia marshlands). The Euphrates forms a delta around the Suq Ash Shuyukh area, which has a fern-frond shape with numerous distributaries bordered by levees and flood plains. Prior to 1990, the Euphrates actually disappeared at this point, reforming northeast of the delta area. The Tigris delta is located south of Amara. At this point, the Tigris trends to the east, while the deltaic distributaries trend is southward. These deltaic environments have historically been the areas of intensive rice cultivation. A third, inactive delta is associated with the Gharraf River, a distributary of the Tigris flowing southward from Kut. Historically at this point, the groundwater table intersected the ground surface. The far extremities of the marsh and lake environment (south of Hammar Marsh) grade into saline dry lakes, sabkhas, and desert.

Historically, the marshlands constituted a chain of almost interconnected permanent and seasonal marsh, shallow and deep lake complexes that flowed into one another and mudflats that were regularly inundated during periods of elevated water levels. During periods of high floods, large areas of desert were seasonally under water. Consequently, some of the formerly separate marsh units would merge together, forming larger wetland complexes with a great variety of habitats and ecological features.

In the past centuries the marshlands area occupied about 16 000 km2. The deltas of Euphrates and Tigris dispersed their waters in these lands. After flowing out of the marshes, the Euphrates would took a unified course crossing the town of Al Zubayr and ending up in Khor Al Zubayr. During the years and throughout the centuries, the area of the marshes shrank and increased according to the intensity of the seasonal floods of the two rivers and according to the ability of the rulers of Iraq to control the water of the rivers. The state and area of the marshes remained unchanged for centuries, until after the Ottoman Reign. The most important developments happening to the marshes of southern Iraq were the establishment of modern controls of the water of the Tigris and the Euphrates. This led to a decrease in the great floods that affected Iraq and

22 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS consequently the area of the marshes in Iraq. In addition, the irrigation projects played an active role in determining the courses of the Tigris and Euphrates and their branches.

The core of the marshes is centred in the area around the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. It is typically divided into the three major areas: Hammar, south of the Euphrates; Central (Qurna) Marshes between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; and Huweizah Marshes east of the Tigris River.

The 1970s marshland footprint started to be altered as a consequence of an increasing interest in developing the irrigation potentialities of Iraq, the pioneer study in this respect can be considered the one prepared by the British engineer Fred Haigh for the Iraqi Irrigation Development Commission in 1951. Actually, the study was not intended to drain the marshlands but aimed at providing a solution for soil salinization, negatively impacting agricultural practices. In 1953 the construction of the MOD (Main Outfall Drain) started with the purpose of collecting saline residual water and to divert them from agricultural land. The construction of the MOD took several years, and as its construction proceeded, the focus gradually shifted from building a canal for diverting saline waters to marshland reclamation. During the 1970s-80s, concrete projects were elaborated to drain the marshlands, but they were not initiated because of the Iran-Iraq conflict; therefore until the mid of the eighties the marshlands remained relatively intact.

By the end of the 1991 Gulf War, a massive hydro-engineering drainage programme was launched. The original purpose of the irrigation and agricultural improvement was changed into land reclamation, by diverting waters from the Euphrates and Tigris into the drainage canals. The situation was worsened by embankments and dike building to prevent the natural overflow of the rivers and by the simultaneous building of upstream dams (e.g. Turkey’s Ataturk Dam in the nineties or the most recent Iran Karkheh Dam inaugurated in 2001). The results of this massive drainage and reclamation schemes have been extraordinarily devastating; in less than a decade, one of the world’s largest and most significant wetland ecosystems had completely collapsed.

The massive drainage of the marshlands determined also the displacement and escape of the Marsh Arabs. In addition to the engineering works, their homeland became one of the main areas of fighting that engulfed southern Iraq in 1991-93. Of the 95 000 southern Iraqis who sought refuge in Iran since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, an estimated 40 000 are Marsh Arabs.

Also the effects of marshland drainage on ecosystems, wildlife and biodiversity have been dramatic; the demise of one of the major wetlands of the world might have caused the extinction or the decline of endemic species like the Smooth-coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata maxwelli) the Basra Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis), the Babel (Barbus sharpeyi) and the consistent decline of many migratory birds occurring on the Western Siberia- Caspian-Nile flyway. As a matter of fact, the political will that during the Saddam regime had driven the complete drainage of the marshlands, did not obviously encounter the favour of those people that used to depend on the marshlands for their survival; therefore, following the entry of coalition troops in Iraq in 2003, the local people who had remained around the fringes of the dried marshes did not wait for the fall of Baghdad to begin re- flooding the marshes. Since then, spontaneous actions to re-flood the marshes were taken by local people either acting by themselves or asking for support to local authorities; due to these efforts by the local population and MoWR, within about nine months of liberation, approximately 40% of the marshes had become inundated.

Following the marshland re-flooding and the existence of a partially recovered situation, within the framework of the Italy-Iraq cooperation started in 2004, the New Eden Master Plan for integrated Water resources management in the Marshland Area was developed in 2004-2007. This work provided a detailed description for future water resources requirements in the marshlands area and related implementation plans to grant the survival of these important ecosystems. As a follow up to the New Eden initiatives and to the renewed international widespread recognition of this exceptional natural value owned by Iraq, the first Ramsar site of Iraq was established (Hawizeh Marsh, 17/10/2007) and the first Iraqi National Park was also informally established in the marshland area named Central Marshes (Mesopotamia Marshland National Park), shared by the three Governorates of Thi Qar, Basra and Missan.

Unfortunately, most recent developments have been reducing the surface of inundated land in the marshlands, due to various constraining factors: a steady decreasing water quantity brought by the Tigris and Euphrates due to the establishment of new dams in Syria, Turkey and Iran; the establishment of new Iraqi irrigation schemes; droughts periods (2008-2009) worsened by the spreading climate change effects in Iraq. It is expected that the opening of the Buteira water regulator on the Tigris (2011, in Missan), which feeds Tigris waters into the Central Marshes, contributes to improving the situation.

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Figure 4 Study area of the New Eden Figure 5 Change in marsh cover following reflooding: peak (2006) Master Plan7 and decrease in result of drought (2009/10)8

Dramatic changes have been suffered by local people in the past decades, that have greatly impacted the numerous rural communities that used to rely on marshland resources for their survival. In the past, prior to marshland desiccation, typical island villages of Madan tribes populated the marshlands, the area was an incredible ensemble of water, reeds and people and it was internationally known for having one of the most fascinating human landscape. The presence of dwellers in inner areas of the marshes determined that the whole extent was subject to human utilization for traditional activities; nevertheless this use of the marshland did not threaten the environment and achieved a balance of survival in a sustainable fashion. It can be properly stated that the Marshlands ecosystems play a fundamental role in providing life-supporting services to southern Iraqis, and their restoration is a key factor of the sustainable socio-economic development of this area.

Table 4 Ecological, social and economic relevance of the marshes9 Service Sub-category Examples Provision services –goods / products obtained from Marshlands’ ecosystems Food Crops Paddy rice, great millet, dates, vegetables and fruits Livestock Asian water buffalo, cattle, sheep, water-buffalo milk and yogurt Capture fisheries Shrimp, yellowfin seabream, khishni, Malabar trevally Dorab Aquaculture Cyprinids, grass carp, shellfish, Fourfinger threadfin Wild foods Waterfowl (coot, teal) Freshwater Freshwater for drinking, cleaning, cooling, and transportation Fibre and fuel Fibre Reeds for housing and mats; date palm wood Fuels Crude oil, cattle dung Biochemical Potential use of wetland flora extracts, native herbs for pharmaceuticals and pest control Genetic materials Resistance and breeding of native plant and animal species Regulating services –benefits obtained from the wetlands ecosystems’ control of natural processes Climate regulation Moderation of the national rainfall patterns and control desertification and dust storms Water regulation Hydrological flows Storage and retention of water flowing from Euphrates-Tigris system upstream and tidal flow downstream; Permeable clay and silt facilitates recharge of the alluvium aquifer Water purification Removal of harmful pollutants from water by trapping metals and organic and waste materials; soil microbes degrade organic waste rendering it less harmful treatment Erosion regulation Reeds, grasses and estuarine vegetation retain soils and sediments Protection function Estuaries protect coastal areas from flows, hurricanes and river/streams coastal erosion Natural hazard Marsh areas naturally absorb seasonal floods and tidal surges; moderation of regulation drought at a local scale Pollination Habitat for bees and birds, the key pollinators of economically important crops Cultural services – non-material benefits that Iraqis obtain from wetland ecosystems Ethical values Customs, oral traditions, knowledge and rituals attached to the use of the land and rivers; Iraqi tangible and intangible cultural heritage

7 New Eden Group (2006), New Eden Master Plan. 8 CIMI 2010. 9 Source: Iraqi Marshlands - Integrated UNAMI/UNCT White Paper, 2011 (modified).

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Service Sub-category Examples Recreation and tourism Canoeing, bird and wild-life watching, recreational fishing, archaeological site visitation, Arab Marsh communities culture and values Aesthetic Globally significant natural beauty Educational Science, cultural awareness, specialized vocational training, public awareness of national, regional and global importance Supporting services –underlying processes that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystems services Soil formation Retention of sediment, recycling and supporting the health of the ecosystems Nutrient cycling Returning phosphorus, sulphur and nitrogen to Iraq’s atmosphere, water and soils

Figure 6 Contract areas for oil exploration in the marsh areas10

3.3. Freshwater wetlands in Basra

The freshwater marshes in Basra belong to the southern Iraq system of the Mesopotamia marshlands; they include the eastern part of Hammar marshes (East Hammar), a small portion of the eastern-most Central marshes and the southern end of Hawizeh marshes.

The situation of the marshland complex of Basra today is difficult; it very much depends on water availability and the quality of incoming water. The scarcity of water feeding the marshes is one of the main threats highlighted by the MoWR Committee responsible for restoring the marshlands. A number of projects and initiatives in this respect have been initiated by the MoWR in order to grant a constant water flow to the marshlands (through the construction of various canals and regulators) and to provide better living conditions for the people re-settled after the first restoration initiatives started in 2003.

At the same time, various and often contrasting interests arise in the water and land management of the marshland areas, like for instance the problematic flooding of previously dried areas where rural settlements

10 UNEP-DTIE-IETC 2010a.

25 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS have been established, or also the unwillingness of some groups of interest (or tribes) to reflood certain areas where they have established agricultural lands. Up to now the focus of the MoWR Committee has been on granting a constant water flow to the marshes, preventing flood to villages and crops and building infrastructures for rural communities; in the next phase the core issues of marshland restorations have to shift to management of conflicting interest and environmental monitoring and restoration.

Central marshes11

The central Marshes area is characterized by the presence of brackish water. Typical marsh vegetation dominates over the area, comprising more dense or sparse reed beds, Thypa communities, floating and rooted macrophytes, depending also on the changing water depth found at the various sites. The majority of identified plants at the Central Marshes are common in Iraq.

Central marshes are crucial areas for both resident and migrant waterbirds and passerines. They host huge numbers of waterfowl wintering in the marshlands, such as the globally threatened Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and other bird species of conservation concern. This marsh also harbours considerable numbers of endemic species such as the Iraqi subspecies of the Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis, Tachybaptus ruficollis iraqensis), in addition to the globally threatened Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis). Both of these species breed in quite good numbers in the Central Marshes. Presence of the above rare and threatened species depends primarily on presence of waterbodies (as waterfowl are concerned) and on marsh vegetation; therefore they have not been registered (or in consistently reduced numbers) where the marsh have been turned temporarily or permanently into dry soil by persistent water shortage.

The area of the Central marshes within the administrative boundary of Basra is limited to its eastern most portion. The most recent (2010) naturalistic survey in this area refer to the Zichri KBA (Key Biodiversity Area), classified under the Important Bird Area criteria of BirdLife International. The Zichri area could be extremely important for waterfowl and other migrating birds, however the water presence in the area is intermittent and does not allow the formation of permanent waterbodies and pools..

Hammar marshes and Almes’hib/Alsalal (Nagarah)

Hammar marshes in Basra include the eastern most part of the whole wide Hammar complex. Historically, Hammar used to extend as a continuous water body for more than 55 km west of the Shat Al-Arab River and south of the Euphrates. But due to the physical presence of the West Qurna Oilfield that was established in the middle of Hammar by drainage of the area and creation of soil embankments, Hammar has become two separate areas: West and East Hammar.

East Hammar is an extensive area of wetlands. It is located at the upper corner formed by the joining of the Euphrates and Shat Al-Arab Rivers and extends west to the oilfields of West Qurna. The Shatt Al-Arab flows southwards along the eastern edge of the site. Hammar marshes were originally drained in a systematic campaign over the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s for various reasons. This area was only reflooded in 2004 when the embankments blocking the water from entering the marshes were removed or destroyed by the local community. Gradually the plant cover (mainly reedbeds and reedmace) returned and birds and other wildlife came back to the site.

The area named Al-Nagarah in the Key biodiversity Areas assessments of Nature Iraq seems to correspond to the Almes’hib/Alsalal marshes as indicated by the Basra environment directorate. It is located west of Al-Dair town (sub-district on the west side of Shatt Al-Arab, 30 km northwest of Basra). The site Al Nagarah, according to Nature Iraq, is a large marsh fed by the Euphrates River; it is tidally affected and is characterized by the presence of dense vegetation with distinct water flow. Poisons used in fishing are the main source of pollution. The area is under the influence of tides, which create a good habitat for waders. There is a high diversity of birds but also a high level of hunting and fishing throughout the whole area. According to the surveys and information collected by the Basra environment directorate this area has been assessed as important for the presence of rare and endangered birds.

Al-Midaina area

The area is located on the Shat Al Arab after the joining of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The importance of this area is related with its typical natural marsh vegetation with reed and papyrus, which coexists with agricultural activities (palm trees) and cow and buffalo rearing. Fishing is also an important source of livelihoods in the area.

11 Data on marshes in Basra – unless stated otherwise – based on Nature Iraq: www.natureiraq.org, 2010 and KBA Reports.

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Alsalhya

This is an area of wide wetland located in the eastern part of the province near the Shatt Al-Arab river. This area is important because it was once a brackish fish re-stocking area and as priority habitat for a number of water birds and passerines.

Coastal saltmarshes and tidal inlets

In addition to the freshwater marshes, coastal saltmarshes, tidal inlets, tidal mudflats are present in the southern part of the Governorate in the areas of Shatt Al-Basra (Zubair) and Shatt Al-Arab (Faw). Despite their ecological importance and their uniqueness in the Iraqi territory, these environments are also under various threats and developments, such as oil exploration, oil terminals (see Figure 6), various industrial complexes, urban development and land mines. The current status of the coastal saltmarshes as well as the status of the coastal marine area is difficult to assess and there would be need of constant focused research.

Alkh’wasyat (Khor Al Zubair)

This salt marsh, featuring a huge tidal inlet, extends along the Shatt Al Basra canal in the south-eastern part of the Basra governorate. Its main features are the huge tidal inlets with associated intertidal mudflats. Tidal amplitude is likely to be high more than 3 m.12 Al Zubair Qadha, on the western side of the Shatt Al-Basra canal, is characterized by the presence of bigger towns and cities while the remaining area of the district is quite deserted and with only few sparse villages.

Main economic activities that are present in the area refer to agriculture, fishing, industry and oil developments, navigation and trade transports.

The site is important for the presence of globally threatened bird species, restricted range and biome restricted species, according to BirdLife classification. Also economically important and conservation concern fish species are present and a unique species, found only in this area of Iraq, is the Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Waltoni). The area is also important because it is a coastal resting place for seabirds and fish and the marine environment might host important sea species such as dolphins and sharks.

Faw

The area is located at the border with Iran on its eastern side and with Kuwait in its southwestern end. The whole area features a huge tidal inlet and it is influenced by tides and salt water. It receives fresh water from the Shatt Al Basra, and gets salty water from the Arabic Gulf. The area was once an important spot for date palm production, but today few are left. A number of people might rely on hunting birds for local small scale economy, and there is some low-scale grazing in the terrestrial part of the site. On an ecological point of view the site is important because of the presence of globally threatened and restricted range bird species and of the local race of the Little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis).

3.4. Jabal Senam

Another important biodiversity hotspot – Sanam mountain (Jabal Senam) – is located in the southern part of the governorate, west of Shatt Al-Basra-Khor Al Zubair (at the border with Kuwait). This is an isolated mountain in the surrounding desert environment. After the rainy season the area is covered with natural pastures. Important bird species include the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliacal) (Vulnerable) and large numbers of Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulate); the latter is vulnerable but hunted in winter. Also important mammal and other species are likely to be present, but further and continuous research is needed to confirm their presence. Hunting and oil field developments are the main threats to this environment.

3.5. Marine environment

The marine environment of Basra deserves special attention and must be investigated. The publically available information on Iraq coastal and marine environment is poor; a possibility of receiving recent and scientifically sound information on the current status and trends of the marine environment is the Marine Sceince Center of Basra University.13 In particular, it would be important to assess the most important/ threatened marine species present, the status of water and sediments, the presence of pollutants and the effects on marine life.

12 http://www.birdlife.org. 13 Available at: http://www.uobasrah.edu.iq/newenglish.

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4. History

4.1. Historical significance

The city of Basra was part of the historic location of Sumer, one of the ports associated with the name of the legendary Sinbad the Sailor. It was built in 636 AD on the site of an old Persian settlement, and it played an important role in the early Islamic history. Basra had many names throughout its history. “Basra” has been interpreted through various languages: in Arabic baṣrah means "the over-watcher", which might have been an allusion to the city's origin as an Arab military base against the Sassanids; in Persian Bas-rah means "where many paths meet," and in Aramaic the word basratha means "settlement."

Islamic period

Basra was an encampment and garrison for the Arab armies of Rashid Caliph Umar several kilometres south of its present location, established (636 AD) as a camp for battle against the Sassanid Empire. In 639 AD, Umar built a city with five districts. Basra troops fought the Sassanid Persians at Nahavand (642 AD) and conquered the western provinces of Iran (650). In 650 AD, the Rashidun Caliph Uthman reorganized the Persian frontier, and placed the southern wing military under Basra's control. The town was the site of the Battle of the Camel (656), an encounter between ʿĀʾishah, the Prophet Muhammad’s widow, and ʿAlī, Muhammad’s son-in-law and fourth caliph. In the years during and after Alī’s caliphate (656–661), Basra was a focus of the political strife that arose between the competing religious factions in Islam. This political friction was intensified by a volatile social situation. Whereas the Arab army constituted an aristocracy in Basra, the local and various migrant peoples who had settled there (Indians, Persians, Africans, Malays) were merely mawālī, or clients attached to Arab tribes.

The Sufyanids held Basra until Yazid I's death in 683. Their first governor was Umayyad ʿAbdullah, a renowned military leader but poor statesman. In 664, he was replaced by Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan, who became infamous for his draconian rules of public order. In 680, frictions grew due to Hussein ibn Ali's growing popularity as the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.In the 720s, Basra supported the rebellion of Yazid ibn al-Muhallab against Yazid II.

Social conditions did not improve under the Abbāsids, who took control of the caliphate in 740. The uprisings continued: the Zoṭṭ, an Indian people, rose up in 820–835; the Zanj, African blacks brought into Mesopotamia for agricultural slave labour, rebelled about 869–883. During the time of the Abbasids, Basra became an intellectual centre; it was the home city of the Arab polymath Ibn al-Haytham, the Arab literary giant al-Jahiz and the Sufi mystic Rabia Basri.

The Qarmatians, an extremist Muslim sect, invaded and devastated Basra in 923, and thereafter the city declined, overshadowed by the prominence of the ʿAbbāsid capital, Baghdad. By the 14th c., neglect and the Mongol invasions left little of the original Basra standing, and by the turn of the 16th c. the city was relocated at the site of ancient Al-Ubullah (a few miles upstream).

From 947 to 1055, the are was ruled by the Buyid dynasty (which also ruled Baghdad). Sanad al-Dawla al-Habashi was governor of Basra and built a library of 15 000 books. The Great Friday Mosque was constructed in Basra during the Middle Ages. In 1122 Imad ad-Din Zengi received Basra as a fief. In 1126, Zengi suppressed a revolt and in 1129 Dabis looted the Basra state treasury. A 1200 map "on the eve of the Mongol invasions" shows the Abbasid Caliphate as ruling lower Iraq and, presumably, Basra.

In 1258, the Mongols under Hulegu Khan ended the Abbasid rule. By some historical accounts Basra capitulated to the Mongols to avoid a massacre. The Mamluk Bahri dynasty map (1250–1382) shows Basra within their area of control, and the Mongol Dominions map (1300–1405) confirms the fact. In 1523 the Portuguese under the command of Antonio Tenreiro reached Basra from Aleppo.

Ottoman period and WWI

Basra was assimilated into the Ottoman Empire in 1546. In 1624 the Portuguese assisted the Basra Pasha in repelling a Persian invasion. The Portuguese were granted a share of the customs and freedom from tolls. Between 1625 and 1668 Basra and the Delta marshlands were in the hands of local chieftains independent of the Ottoman administration at Baghdad. The Zand Dynasty under Karim Khan Zand briefly occupied Basra after a long siege in 1775-1779 and introduced the Shi’iah religious practices in Basra. In the 17th and 18th c., English, Dutch and Portuguese traders became established in Basra.

28 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

In the 19th c., the city developed considerably as a trans-shipment point for river traffic to Baghdad. In 1884 the Ottomans responded to local pressure from the Shi'as of the south by detaching the southern districts of the Baghdad vilayet and creating a new vilayet of Basra. This retained a multi-cultural character: at the turn of the 20th c., ca. about 4000 Jews and perhaps 6000 Christians were living in Basra, but no Turks other than the Ottoman officials.14

After the Battle of Basra in 1914 during World War I, the occupying British modernized the port (designed by Sir George Buchanan); these British commercial interests made it one of the most important ports in the Persian Gulf with shipping and trade links to the Far East. In 1920, after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, the vilayets of Basra, Baghdad and Mosul were taken over by the British Empire and together formed the historical region of Irak Arabi or Irak Babeli, known as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia, which in 1932 was subsumed under the Kingdom of Iraq.

4.2. Recent history

Ba’athist regime (1968–2003), Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and Gulf War I (1990–1991)

By 1977 the population had risen to its peak of some 1.5 million. It declined during the Iran-Iraq War, collapsing to its lowest point of just over 400 000 the war’s worst periods. The city was repeatedly shelled by Iran and was the site of many fierce battles, such as Operation Ramadan and Operation Karbala 5.

The growth of Iraq’s petroleum industry in the post-war decades turned Basra into a major petroleum refining and exporting centre. Before the Iran-Iraq War, petroleum was pumped from Basra to the town of Al-Faw, on the Persian Gulf, and loaded on tankers for export. Basra’s refinery was much damaged in the opening months of the Iran-Iraq War, however, and many of the city’s buildings were destroyed by artillery bombardments as the Iranians advanced to within less than 10 km of it in 1987. The city again suffered extensive damage in 1991 during the Gulf War and in subsequent fighting between rebel factions and government troops.

The Shiite population suffered long and hard under Saddam's rule. The city of Basra had suffered considerably during the eight-year war with Iran and Allied bombardment and in 1991 during the Gulf War. . The governorate ventured into an uprising after the US had promised aid, which started in Basra by angry soldiers, according to popular legend after they fired at a giant public portrait of Saddam Hussein, followed by mass support in the streets. At the time the Allied Army was occupied, despite the 24th Infantry Division stationed only several miles from the city. . Basra did not completely succumb to the rebels; a counterattack by some 6000 loyalists from the Republican Guard held out against 5000 defectors of the Iraqi army. Numerous rebels were killed in the streets and mass executions blooded the public squares.

Iraq War (2003–2011)

Since 2003 the governorate was one of the centres of warfare during the invasion of the British and Americans during the Iraq War. The Battle of Basra took place between March 23 and April 7 between the British 1st Armed Division and Iraqi forces under General Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali). Much of the heaviest combat in the war took place in the province in subsequent weeks.

Several outbreaks of violence between secular Iraqis and Shiite Muslims broke out in the summer of 2006, and in September 2007 the British troops were withdrawn to Basra Airport, leaving the city in December of the same year. Basra voiced its desire to unite with the other provinces of Thi Qar and Missan as an autonomous region. The January 2005 elections saw several radical politicians gain office, supported by religious parties.

British troops transferred control of Basra province to the Iraqi authorities in 2007, four-and-a-half years after the invasion. A BBC survey of the city’s residents found that 86% thought the presence of British troops since 2003 had had an overall negative effect on the province.

14 Encyclopedia Britannica data for 1911.

29 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

ISIL invasion (2013–2017)

Missan was not directly affected by violence in the context of ISIL. But as Iraq has struggled to combat ISIL, security forces were increasingly redeployed from the south, leaving a security vacuum that was filled by unruly militias and criminal gangs.15

The outbreak of conflict in 2014 brought an influx of almost 11 000 IDPs, mainly from Nineveh and Salah al-Din. The vast majority settled in Basra district, which continued to attract IDPs due to the availability of basic services. The overall flow of IDPs remained relatively stable until April 2015.

Infrastructure damage in Basra province today mostly affects sewerage, roads, bridges and schools in Basra, Al- Midaina and Al-Qurna qadhas. This is all related to the devastation experienced in the previous conflicts.

15 IOM (Oct 2017), Integrated Location Assessment II Report.

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II. SOCIAL PROFILE

1. Population

According to 2015 data, 7.6% of Iraq’s population live in Figure 7 Population distribution of Basra by age Basra Governorate, on 4.4% of the total country area. In group and urban/rural, 2015 (COSIT) the period 1997-2009 the population of Basra Governorate increased by 55.4%; the number of 0-4 80+20,0% 5-9 households increased as well. At the same time, the average number of people in a household decreased - 75-79 15,0% 10-14 from 9.1 in 1997 to 7.3 in 2009. 70-74 10,0% 15-19 The age structure of the population is heavily dominated 5,0% 65-69 20-24 by the younger age groups. The share of population 0,0% under 4 years is 16,7%, while the entire population over 60 is 4,6%. %. The aging rate – the ratio of people under 60-64 25-29 15 to people over 65 – is 14.7%. The transformation is smooth and it is mainly due to the extremely high birth 55-59 30-34 rate in the governorate – 36.1‰ in 2013; at the same 50-54 35-39 time, the mortality rate is relatively low – 5.9‰ in 2013. 45-49 40-44

For 2012–2015, the annual population growth rate for urban rural Basra is 3%. If this rate holds, the population projections forecast slowing population growth.16

The vast majority of the population (81.3%) live in urban areas (81.3%). This urbanisation rate is higher than the average for Iraq (71%) – and it has been fast increasing: up from 79.8% in 1997. Data for the period 2012–2015 show a stable trend of increase in the urban population . Basra Qadha has the largest share of urban population (nearly 95% of the residents), while Al-Midaina has the largest share of rural population (54.9%).

The population distribution in the different areas of the governorate is extremely uneven (see Table 5), driven primarily by the natural and geographical features of the governorate. At the two extremes: . Basra Qadha concentrates 49.4% of the total population of Basra; the district only occupies 5.8% of the territory, the average density here is the highest – 1 297 persons/km2. . Faw Qadha has the smallest population – 0.5% of the overall population of the Governorate and occupies 1.5% of Basra’s territory; thus, the average density here is 429 persons/km2.

The migration coefficients of the population are positive. More than half the people migrate to accompany the family, followed by work (see Table 7). Notably, the share of people who leave Basra due to deportation/forced displacement is much higher (by 8%) than the national average.

Table 5 Population distribution in Basra (2016)17 Qadha Nahia Population (n) % of total population Area (km2) Density (people/km2) Al-Basra Basra QC 1 268 200 88.7 1 085 1169 Al-Hartha 161 802 11.3 18 9246 Total 1 430 002 49.4 1 103 1297 Abu Al- Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 222 694 100.0 1 152 193 Khaseeb Total 222 694 7.7 1 152 193 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 391 861 77.0 1 334 35 Safwan 56 766 11.2 8 872 6 Um Qasr 60 018 11.8 1 612 37 Total 508 646 17.6 11 618 44 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 141 405 49.7 1 248 113 Al-Dair 105 407 37.1 825 128 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 37 644 13.2 22 1688 Total 284 456 9.8 2095 136

16 Based on data provided by COSIT/MoP for 2013 with projections for 2013, 2018, 2023 and 2033 using a fixed growth rate of 3%, both for the urban and the rural areas (3% is the growth rate applied for the period 1987-1997, and 1997-2009). Source: Annual Statistical Abstract 2010- 2011; COSIT; MoP. 17 Based on COSIT data for 2015 and Governorate information.

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Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 42 056 98 429 Total 42 056 1.5 98 429 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 140 750 81.1 1516 93 Al-Nashwa 32 770 18.9 539 61 Total 173 520 6.0 2055 84 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC 77 993 33.4 269 290 Iz-Eldeen Salim 67 873 29.1 503 135 Talha (Al-Sadiq) 87 350 37.5 217 403 Total 233 217 8.1 989 236 Basra total 2 894 591 19 070 152

Table 6 Distribution of urban and rural population in Basra by administrative unit Qadha Nahia Urban (%) Rural (%) Urban (%) Rural (%) Al-Basra Basra QC 96.1 3.9 93.4 6.6 Al-Hartha 72.3 27.7 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 92.3 7.7 92.3 7.7 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 76.4 23.6 Safwan 45.2 54.8 73.7 26.3 Um Qasr 82.6 17.4 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 89.0 11.0 Al-Dair 29.5 70.5 56.4 43.6 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 8.9 91.1 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 84.9 15.1 84.9 15.1 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 94.1 5.9 78.1 21.9 Al-Nashwa 9.6 90.4 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC 40.1 59.9 Iz-Eldeen Salim 41.8 58.2 45.1 54.9 Talha (Al-Sadiq) 52.0 48.0 Basra total 81.3 18.7 81.3 18.7

Figure 8 Share of urban/rural population per qadha, Basra province (COSIT)

100% 6,6 7,7 18,7 15,1 21,9 rural 80% 29 26,3 43,6 54,9 urban 60% 93,4 92,3 84,9 40% 71 81,3 73,7 78,1 56,4 20% 45,1 0% Iraq Basra Basra Abu Al- Al-Zubair Qirna Fao Shat al- Madina average average Khasib Arab Table 7 Persons who changed their place of residence in Iraq and Basra by reason, 2011 (%) Work Studying / Marriage/ Accompanying Deportation / Return deportation / Asylum Other completion divorce/ the family forced forced displacement in Iraq of studies widow displacement Basra 14.3 1.2 9.8 53.3 6.1 12.8 0 2.5 Iraq total 14.7 1.0 14.1 41.7 19.8 4.9 0.7 3.1

2. IDPs

Basra’s relative safety and stability have made it an attractive location for IDPs fleeing the violence that swept north-western Iraq in 2014.18 Displaced families put pressure on services, the education system and resources in the Governorate, as well as affect the employment opportunities for the population. As of 31 Oct 2017, Basra Governorate hosts 9576 IDPs (1596 IDP families) – which represents only 0.3% of all IDPs in Iraq.19 The reasons for displacement vary (threat to lives, poor living conditions, armed conflict, violence). IDPs who run from violence (mainly linked to religious causes) find refuge within Shia communities in Basra. Intent to integrate in the community of displacement (rather than return) in higher in Basra than in Iraq on average.20

18 NCCI (Dec 2015), Basra Governorate Profile. 19 IOM DTM Round 82 – 31 Oct 2017: http://iraqdtm.iom.int/DtmReports.aspx 20 IOM (Oct 2017), Integrated Location Assessment II Report.

32 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

3. Living conditions

The population of Basra has one pf the highest rates of access to improved water sources and also enjoys an above average connection to the public water network. Nevertheless, with regard to service quality, almost half of the governorate’s inhabitants report the available drinking water as bad or very bad, and less than half of the people connected to the public water network have water available for the full day.

Access to electricity is limited due to insufficient generation capacities and overused electricity network (stations, transmission wires, etc.). More than 80% of Basra households report power cuts of at least three hours daily, forcing almost 80 % of the governorate’s inhabitants to rely on additional sources of power like private or shared generators to cover the failing public network.

There is limited access to healthcare. According to standards, 1 hospital and 1 medical centre should be available to each 40 000 residents. Thus, the number of hospitals in Basra should be 20 – and there are just 4. However, the number of hospital beds that are available suggests minimum standards, so satisfaction with hospitals and medical centres can be considered satisfactory.

Access to household appliances is also below the average for Iraq. Some 22.5% of the households have their own automobile, compared to 31.7% country average. In 2011, this difference was even greater: 21% for Basra, compared to 35% for Iraq on average. Nearly 90% of households in Basra province have access to a cooker (gas or electric or oil) and a fan; households with a heater (oil, gas or electric) are 83.3%, which is below the country’s average. In spite of the high temperatures in the region, the population is not sufficiently equipped with appliances that guarantee better living conditions. 91.5% of the households have a fridge, which is close to the average (92.4%), and 47.9% have a freezer versus an average of 49.1%; 85.7% are equipped with an air conditioner, which is double higher than the country average. Overall, values in this group of indicators show some increase compared to 2011.

Access to hot water has decreased considerably – from 88% to 84.2% between in 2011 and the following year.

Access to internet, measured as average time of internet use, is also lower in Basra: 11 hours a week versus 12 hours country average. Internet is used mostly at home by nearly 60% of the population and 13% use it mostly at work which is very close to the average for the average country level. About 21.3% use internet through a mobile phone. Although only 3.1% use internet at educational institutions, this value is very close to the average for the country.

Illiteracy in the age group 10+ is 20.9%, which is slightly higher than the average for Iraq. The proportion of people who can read and write but have no completed educational level is close to the country average. The share of persons with completed educational level is higher than the average for Iraq at the respective levels – e.g. by 3.5% and 1.1% respectively at the primary and intermediate education levels. There are grounds to conclude that education levels show a slight negative trend21.

Despite its good macroeconomic performance, in Basra governorate, the proportion of the population living in poverty ranks the province in 9th place in the country. The percentage of people living under the poverty line of USD 2.5/day in Basra province is higher than the national average. Moreover, the level of poverty has seen an increase from 14.3% in 2007 to 16,1% in 2011. Poverty and food insecurity (21%) do vary greatly between the various districts of the governorate.22

The level of unemployment is 13.3% (2012), which is relatively high for the country. Unemployment among women is 13 percentage points higher than that for men. The average salary and average household income are higher than the respective national values for those indicators.

Overall, women have poorer literacy, education enrolment, employment and poverty rates (and higher multidimensional poverty) – especially in rural areas. The role of women in economic activity is weak, because of the prevailing social culture in families, which affects the professional status of women. Young women suffer the highest levels of socio-economic exclusion.

21 Data for 2007 and 2011 are difficult to compare because the national statistics used different structures of educational level distribution and also, for 2011, a different age base (12+ years, while in the previous two periods it was 10+). 22 NCCI (Dec 2015), Basra Governorate Profile.

33 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

Figure 9 Education attainment levels in Basra and Iraq (10y+), 2012 (COSIT) 40% 30,9% Basrah Total 30% 27,5% 20,9% 21,9% 20,5% 21,7% 20% 10,1% 11,2% 6,2% 10% 3,7% 4,5% 4,7% 4,6% 4,4% 4,0% 2,9% 0,1% 0,0% 0% Illiterate Read only Read & Primary IntermediatePrepatory Or Diploma Bachelor Other Write vocational (vocational) &more

4. Social protection

Profile

Disadvantaged groups include orphans, women providers, persons with disability (PwDs), minors and youth (up to 29 years old), and certain groups of economically disadvantaged individuals and families. . Over 16% of the population live in poverty (2011 data); this is higher than the average for Iraq, and the share has increased since 2007; . Food insecurity affects 21% of the population - and many many more in some qadhas; . The level of unemployment is 13,3% (2012), which is relatively high for the country. . Unemployment among women is 13 percentage points higher than that for men; and women’s participation in the economy is 3 times lower than this of men; . People with disabilities comprise 3% of the population (3.9% of men, 2.7% of youth and 4.8% of young men). The rates for youth are significantly higher than the average for Iraq. Notably, chemical pollution of the environment is a main driver of disability in Iraq).23 There is need to improve work safety and limit pollution from industry, in addition to expanding specialised health support.

Overall, support for vulnerable groups is weak. The various forms of social protection in Iraq result in divided responsibility for social protection among a great number of bodies. The lack of unified strategy for social protection prevents these bodies from cooperating, resulting in duplication of benefits. Additionally, some of these bodies offer social protection programmes indiscriminately, without an assessment of the beneficiaries’ needs. Overall, support for vulnerable groups is weak. Economically disadvantaged persons and families

Social protection institutions under MoLSA in the province are 7 in 2014, with 129 employees. Social care departments were established in Basra governorate to serve people who are under the poverty line. MoLSA allocates subsidy salaries to families under the poverty line. The social assistance system covers 72 869 persons; 55.1% of them are women.

The social safety nets are projects or programmes for transfers that are not based on contributions, which aim to help vulnerable groups to overcome exceptional circumstances and threats such as economic crises, natural disasters and wars. They aim to help these groups to improve their income-earning capacities and support the accumulation of human capital in order to enable them to get out of poverty. Obstacles in the implementation of social safety net programmes have been several, including bureaucratic procedures, lack of clear information base, lack of social research, etc. Perhaps most seriously, the safety net has become vulnerable to unjust or careless application of beneficiary selection criteria, leading to the exclusion of many poor people.

The ration card system was introduced to help cope with exceptional circumstances resulting from the blanket ban imposed by the Security Council in the wake of the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The system was originally meant to cover all residents of Iraq, and it was designed as a temporary solution to a specific emergency (i.e. the sanctions). However, the system has yet to be discontinued. One may say that by treating all Iraqis equally, this system achieves absolute justice. However, indiscriminateness has emerged as a disadvantage of the ration card system. Instead of targeting the whole population, the system should target those most in need of assistance.24

23 UNDP (2014), Iraq HDR 2014. 24 Alzobaidee, H. (WFP/IDS, Dec 2015), “Social Protection and Safety Nets in Iraq.”

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Youth

Youth are an active force and an essential partner in the economic and social construction process, which requires that these groups be allowed to express their concerns and aspirations and to contribute to national policy-making. There is need to support their participation in political and civil life – through work to confirm their presence in the political scene, to solidify national youth institutions and associations, and to impart the values of equality and equity among youth groups in various fields.

In this sense, as part of the area of education, it is necessary to boost the role of youth and adolescents, to promote their involvement in and contribution to the development process, to instil the values of self-reliance and entrepreneurship, and to foster initiative and creativity so as to facilitate the integration of young people in the job market. Thus, the system of youth centres is of key importance. It contributes to giving young people the opportunity to launch their creative energies and to discover and develop their talents. The process requires the optimal mobilisation of youth institutions.

Among the most important governmental organizations that take care of youth is the Directorate of Youth and Sports in Basra Governorate, which attracts large numbers of young people to develop their competencies in the fields of art, science, culture, social activities, sports. Youth forums have been reinvigorated.

. The Directorate oversees 13 forums, geographically distributed. Some of them are very active, while others are not functioning for lack of financial resources. . The main objective of the Directorate's activities is to support youth capacities, provide them with suitable job opportunities and counter unemployment by developing their mental, academic and artistic skills, as well as supporting them and giving them the moral impetus. . The activities of the Directorate are in two main streams:  Youth, which includes technical, cultural, scientific and social activities and forms 75% of the Directorate's work.  Sports, which includes all sports activities and forms 25% of the Directorate's work.

There are 12 seminar halls in Basra for holding social and cultural events. Taken the number of activities that are offered or planned at all levels, they are extremely insufficient. There is also great scarcity of modern audio and visual equipment, especially for scientific conventions. The few sports clubs and facilities available in the province are concentrated in the urban centres. Outside Basra QC, youth engagement facilities are generally missing.

Women

The need to elevate women to the status of equal rights partners is met through ensuring women’s active participation in public life, their equal presence in various workplaces, and providing wider opportunities for socio-economic integration of women in rural and urban areas. The Government commitment to strengthen and ensure women's rights and gender equality, including to ensure equal representation of men and women in elected councils and public functions, envisions (1) valuing the role of women active in civil society, and (2) developing the field of women studies – in order to better understand women’s situation and positions, and to support their role. . From gender perspective, women in Iraq are generally poorer than men. The difference is not too wide, however, due to the nature of prevailing social relations in Iraq, whereby it is the socially accepted responsibility of men (as heads of the households) to provide for women. . One of the reasons for the high rate of unemployment among women in the 15-24 age group is that the rate of female unemployment is three times the rate of female participation in the labour force. This is linked to failure of the public sector to provide employment opportunities, especially for women. . Among women, illiteracy rates are low and education enrolment rates are high, especially in rural areas. The role of women in economic activity is weak, however, because of the prevailing social culture in families, which affects the professional status of women.

In Dec 2013, the Department of Social Welfare for Women at MoLSA assumed the tasks to provide aid for women with little-to-no incomes and no guardians; to train women and empower them economically; and to educate women.

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5. Civil rights and citizen engagement

Gender issues

From a gender perspective, the human rights situation is still dominated by violence due to ignorance of the human rights, false interpretation of religious values and culturally rooted norms. Cases of violence of all kinds are reported in large numbers - sexual, physical or psychological abuse, 830 in total by the month of October for the current year 2017. Most of them do not reach the courts at all prevented by the traditional customs and attitudes. The percentage of divorces is on the rise to more than 25% of all marriages. A good part of them are marriages of underage girls and remain outside the statistics. The growing popularity of social networking and the effects of globalization are considered a major cause of increasing gender-based violence.

For many years women in Iraq have suffered injustice, deprivation and have been deprived of their rights. Despite their core roles in the family and society, they no public expression. This is the reason why so many organizations are engaged in defending women’s human, social and religious rights and their dignity. The diversity of civil society organizations, active in Iraq in general and in the province of Basra in particular has helped a large number of them join voluntary social work and gain new experiences.

There are 50 women's associations and organizations in Basra province found all over the governorate, mostly NGO-type and carrying out various activities (social, cultural, artistic, religious, political). Some of them work to build awareness for political participation and revitalizing the economic life of the communities.

Women have been directly involved in the political field in the province of Basra and have occupied a good number of seats in the provincial council, making a solid proportion of the quorum (25%). In this way, women in the political and leadership sectors occupied an important and prestigious position alongside men by assuming leadership responsibility and managing the affairs of the governorate in all areas (humanitarian, urban, economic and social).

Human rights programs in the governorate can be defined as scarce and partial, and with limited effect. The government support for the organizations is far from sufficient.

Civil society organisations

There is a large number of CSOs in the province, working in a wide variety of areas, which makes it hard to classify them in terms of activities and the services they provide to the citizens. Most of these organizations are concerned with human rights and pursue their goals vigorously. According to the latest statistics the organizations in Basra, registered or not, are 116. They are engaged in educational, cultural and political activities, health promotion, awareness-raising, youth employment, human rights (also women’s and children’s rights), provision of services to vulnerable groups like people with disabilities, orphans and talented children.

Some or some of these organizations have achieved positive or positive results, such as through awareness- raising campaigns and youth employment campaigns in temporary activities in partnership with international organizations and others. Although they are involved in discussions, they still lack the capacity to collaborate with the local authorities.

To boost the chances of success of the CSOs in Basra, which are numerous and scattered in a variety of areas, a group of local intellectuals and experts formed the Association of Civil Society Organizations in Basra – an umbrella organization, aiming to coordinate their work and increase the impact of their achievements.

Role of Media

Despite the existence of dozens of media sites and media channels (video, audio, and informative), those dedicated to human rights and civil society building are very few. In addition, a number of deficits exist, such as the partisanship of many of the information channels with local or foreign ownership, absence of independent media guarantees, recurrent attacks of journalists by people of power, lacking programs for supporting free media, and corruption.

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III. ECONOMIC PROFILE

It is almost impossible to develop Iraq’s economy without developing the economy of Basra Governorate. Basra city is Iraq’s third largest urban centre. It is the only country's port with the outpost of the Arabian Gulf and its main seaport. This is one of the important Governorates in Iraq, because of the oil fields among which are Rumaila field, Shi'aiba field, western Qurna field, and Majnoun field. Due to its location as it occurs in the plains of Rafidain valley, it is one of the important centres for planting rice, barley, wheat, and millet. It is also famous for cattle breading. The Governorate occurs on varying terrain land includes plains, upland, and desert and is also considered as a tourists Governorate for having many religious shrines and historical sites.

In sum, the province represents the economic powerhouse of the entire Iraq. In April 2017 the Iraqi Parliament voted unanimously to consider Basra Governorate as Iraq’s economic capital.

1. Economic development

Structure of the economy

The economy of Basra Governorate is characterized by a highly developed public sector. The share of the private sector is minimal despite the efforts of local and national authorities for its development.

The dominant sector of the economy is oil production, which almost 90% of the Governorate's GDP. Agriculture has a leading role in meeting the needs of the poorest regions of the province. The share of agriculture is only 3% of GDP. The distribution of other sectors in GDP is 12% of the industry and 31% of the services.

Basra has the highest values of the production indicators among Iraqi governorates. GNI PPP per capita ($S) is USD 44 220.45, and GDP per capita is USD 13 785. Annual Household Income stands at USD 18 065 – ranking the province 10th in Iraq. According to expert assessments, the GDP produced on the governorate territory is around 59% of the national total.

The oil sector is the most important in terms of value added. Basra’s economy is centred on the oil sector: in 2010, the oil sector alone contributed 88% of the gross provincial product.25 The “other services” sector – including the administration but also health, social works, personal services, private households, renting, financial intermediation – has the highest labour absorption; it contributed 5% to the provincial GDP in 2010.

Figure 10 Estimation of distribution of sector GDP of Basra (% of total, 2010)26

3 1 1 Agriculture 2 5 Oil

Construction

Transport services

Trade, restaurants and hotels

Manifacturing 88 Utilities

Other services

Labour force and employment

The proportion of the economically active population in the province is relatively stable over the period 2003- 2012. Unemployment aming the economically active population varies considerably. It declined twice in the period 2003-2005 and reached 7.9%, then began to grow and in 2012 it reached 14.7%.

25 Structure plan of Basra Governorate (2013). 26 SDP 2013.

37 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

Figure 11 Unemployment and labour market participation, Figure 12 Distribution of paid employees 2003–2012 (%) (15y+) by sector, 2011 50 Unemployment Government 46,2 46,5 Rate sector 40 45,5 28% 43,2 41,7 43,2 Public / Mixed 30 Revised Economic 1% Private sector 20 15,5 15,5 14,7 Activity Rate 12,5 71% 10,5 7,9 10

0

2003 2004 2005 2006 2008 2012 In Basra 27% of paid employees are employed by the private sector. The rate of paid employees to the total, aged 15 years and above by the private sector lags behind the national average (-35%). All the neighbour Governorates present a higher incidence of the private sector than in Basra.

Developing the private sector is a formidable challenge for a Governorate where 72% of the paid employees are employed by the Government sector or public / mixed sector (Iraq Knowledge Network Survey IKN – 2011). In Basra the Government sector covers traditionally public sectors such as public administration, education and health but also part of the manufacturing and trade sectors where there are a number of public companies active in the governorate.

Main obstacles to economic development

Iraqi institutions in charge of planning and economic growth, as well as Basra authorities, have stressed the relevance of the private sector in many occasions. The detailed analyses of each specific sector confirm the mostly public nature of Basra’s non-oil economy, as further discussed below and in their respective chapters.

Furthermore, the lack of strong, well-maintained infrastructures, particularly grid-level (i.e. Telecommunications, Transport, and Electric Grid), drastically limit economic growth. The reasons for such a delay in infrastructures lies in a mix factors, combining the dramatic effects of the war, limited local planning, inadequate financial resources, bad policy-level decisions, corruption, and lack of competition.

Finally, across almost all sectors, the lack of specialized skilled labour is a major concern for the future developments in the province. Education and internal continuous training of the workforce are hence perceived as important pillars of the economic process as well.

A number of resources, culture, geographical conditions, and other minor factors might affect significantly the economic conditions of a region and its production mix, nonetheless institutional and academic sources agree that the industrial and agricultural sectors represent the engine for growth in the vast majority of modern economies. Along with industry and agriculture, a florid financial sector is needed in order to support continuous investment in the above and all the other economic sectors.

In the specific case of Basra and its oil fields and reserve, oil is clearly the predominant industry, nonetheless, since the oil sector is not labour intensive, a development strategy only based on this sector will not be sustainable in the long term.

Lastly, trade and tourism do not yet maximize the assets of the province.

2. Oil and gas

The known oil and gas reserves in Iraq form a belt that runs along the eastern edge of the country. In Iraq 79 fields have been discovered (70 oil fields and 9 gas fields) of which only one third are currently producing. Iraq has 9 fields that are considered super giants (oil reserves over 5 billion bpd) as well as 22 known giant fields (oil reserves over 1 billion bpd). Three quarters of the national oil reserves are concentrated in the super giant fields of West Qurna, Rumaila, Majnoon, East Baghdad, Zubair and Nahr bin Umar. Basra accounts for 17 oilfield and one gas field.

38 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

The Basra Gas Company is a Joint Venture between the South Gas Company (51%), Shell (44%) and Mitsubishi Corporation (5%) established to capture associated gas that is currently being flared from the main oil fields of Basra. BGC will be dedicated to the rehabilitation and upgrade of the current facilities as well as building new assets which is expected to increase the raw gas processing capacity from a current 400 million cubic feet per day to 2 billion cubic feet per day by 2017. Over time, the BGC will collect and process gas produced in the main oilfields and sell the processed natural gas and associated products such as condensate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for use in the domestic and export markets.

In Iraq the total refinery capacity is 900,000 bpd, although due to extensive disrepair the aggregate available capacity is actually 660,000 bpd. The main refineries are Baiji, Daura and Basra, each supported by a cluster of topping units. The Basra (Ash Shaabiya) oil refinery was put in operation in 1980’s and has two distillation facilities of the design capacity of 70,000 bpd each (total 140,000 bpd). The Ministry of Oil has started projects to increase the national refining capacity, in order to improve the quality and quantity of refined products to meet the growing national market mix demand of refined products. Four new refineries with a total capacity of 740 kb/d are planned, in order to reach an aggregate refinery capacity of 1.4 million bpd by 2019. For the Basra refinery the Ministry of Oil (South Refinery Company) is developing a project to upgrade the facilities to increase the gasoline production capacity (Basra Refinery Upgrading Project) by building a new dedicated refinery unit near to the existing plant.

To the Gulf: the Basra Oil Terminal (Mina al-Bakr) is the main export route of crude oil from Iraq and has an effective capacity to load 2 million bpd. The BOT can support very large crude oil carriers. There are five smaller ports on the Gulf, all functioning at less than full capacity, including the Khor al-Amaya terminal.

Basra Governorate is one of the focal areas for the national oil production, processing and export system. The governorate has a huge potential in terms of oil and gas production and therefore a huge potential for the economical, infrastructure, technological development of the governorate.

The Ministry of Oil, the South Oil Company and the South Gas Company as well as the International Oil Companies that operate in the oil and gas fields of Basra are developing several huge projects for improving the oil and gas infrastructures in Basra. Since the first oilfields bidding rounds in 2009, the development of the oil and gas sector in Basra has been intensive and a strong effort has been put in exploration and production activities as well as in developing new oil infrastructures and facilities. With the increased refinery and gas processing capacity, also the petroleum products storage and distribution system will be improved, in order to meet the increasing demand of the local and national market.

3. Industry

COSIT collects detailed information about enterprises in the industry sector; it defines the industry sector as significant for the Iraqi economy. It is important to point out, however that is does not include the extraction of and trade in oil products.

On the territory of Basra governorate 30 large enterprises have their functions in the industry sector according to 2015 data, which means an increase of 20% compared with the previous year. Although the large enterprises form around 1.2% of all enterprises in the sector, their importance is great since they account of a great deal of the employment and the value of the industrial output. From the perspective of the ownership only 5 of the companies is state-owned, employing some 88.3% of the workers in large enterprises and paying 95.3% of the salaries and around 94.0% of the production and sales.

Industry and manufacturing are the important potential economic drivers of the non-oil economy in Iraq. Unfortunately, many industrial factories that were the backbone of the Iraq economy have fallen behind global manufacturing standards. Despite this challenge, Basra presents a unique opportunity in the southern region, having substantial resources and excellent position in terms the national transport corridors.

The Governorate’s industrial sector leverages on the diverse natural resources (e.g. oil and its derivatives) and the needs of infrastructure and housing re-construction. As expected, the majority of the medium-large size industries are in Oil and Gas sector.

The Free Zone Authority Law No. 3/1998 (FZL) permits investment in Free Zones through industrial, commercial, and service projects. This law operates under the Instructions for Free Zone management and the Regulation of Investors' Business No. 4/1999. Under the Free Zone Authority Law, goods imported and exported from the FZs

39 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS are exempt from all taxes and duties, unless imported into Iraq. However, this exemption does not apply to the Reconstruction Levy (CPA Order No. 54). Capital, profits, and investment income from projects in the FZ are exempt from all taxes and fees throughout the life of the project, including in the foundation and construction phases. The application process for an investor involves submitting an application and a fee of US$100 to the Free Zone Authority. The investor must sign a lease within 30 days of lease approval.

Activities permitted in free zones: . Industrial activities (both production and consumer), assembly, installation, sorting and refilling processes; . Storage, re-export and trading operations; . Service and storage projects and transport of all kinds; . Banking, insurance and reinsurance activities; and . Supplementary and auxiliary professional and service activities. Prohibited activities include actions disallowed by other laws in force, such as weapons manufacture, environmentally-polluting industries and those banned by the place of origin of the investor.

Basra/Khor al- Zubair Free Zone: This one million square mile zone is located 40 miles southwest of Basra on the Arabian Gulf at the Khor al-Zubair seaport and has been in operation since June 2004.

The main industrial establishments are located respectively in the districts of Al Zubair (e.g. Al Zubair factory for liquor gas bottling, South refineries company, and cement factory-Basra), Al Basra (e.g. Al-Basra factory for liquor gas bottling, The general company of Processing grain).

The largest number of productive sites is related to LPG, which are built in different clusters within the Governorate. The largest in terms of employees is the State company for Iron and Steel in Al Zubair with about 5000 staff.

More than 30% of the registered companies are located in Al Zubair qadha. 26% of main licensed industries are located in Al Basra. The main chemical industries are in Al Zubair. Construction industries are mainly located in Al Faw and Zubair. The main Refinery is Al Zubair.

The labour force in the manufacturing sector in the governorate is absolutely concentrated in Um Qasr, Al- Zubair and Al-Dair qadhas.

At national level, 15% of small/medium enterprises are in construction sector. Construction is not the main industry in Basra for SMEs. The industry is fuelled by demand from government institutions as well as demand for housing in and around Basra and Zubair. The sector is predominantly private sector oriented and is serviced by a mix of large construction companies, medium sized contractors, and small and micro construction craftspeople.

Basra SMEs are severely impacted by transportation constraints, as they were electricity constraints, like other Iraqi SMEs in general. A total of 33% of SMEs are severely impacted by transportation deficiencies. The average percentage of SMEs impacted by inadequate transportation in the southern governorate is availability is 55%. The most prevalent issue for Basra SMEs regarding transportation is the high cost, followed by poor availability. Important issue is the weak efficiency to the connection to the port within the Arab Gulf. Security, as relates to transportation, is third, but almost 20% less pertinent than it is in other parts of Iraq.

Although the most of the industrial areas are potentially well linked to the main road , the bad condition in terms of level of service (mainly for the lack of maintenance) is one of the constraint that Governorate faces in the enabling the development of the sector and the related logistics activities. The key industrial area of Basra is potentially well linked to the railway infrastructure, but as already mentioned for road, the bad condition of Iraqi railway network is a weak point for starting an integrated multimodal (sea-rail-road) logistic strategy.

33% of all SMEs in Basra are severely impacted by communications issues. This is 17% lower than the other SMEs in Iraq. A significant number of SME owners have become more dependent upon cell phone provision and therefore are not so affected by other forms of telecommunication infrastructure. Cell phone service inadequacies and cost effects on SMEs are perhaps the greatest concern of all communications issues. A much greater percentage of Basra SMEs are affected by Cell Phone. Another important issue is the great lack of high speed internet services in the Governorate.

Manufacturing is one of the least prominent industries in Basra Governorate, in this framework the improvement of connections with the others governorates is an essential cornerstone for the future

40 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS development. Basra is crossed by the two major roads “main road” of South Iraq, namely “road number 8” and “road number 6” traveling south to the port area and on to Kuwait and north to Baghdad via Amara. Basra can be also reached by Expressway number 1 from Baghdad.

Basra can benefit of all six of Iraq’s ports, including its only deep-water port, and is thus the major transportation nexus in the southern part of the country.

Basra is also connected by primary road to Kuwait City, and the Safwan border crossing between Kuwait and Iraq is a major trade port. Basra International Airport receives regular domestic and international flights. Regular ferry service operates between Basra’s Umm Qasr port and Dubai, UAE for both passengers and cargo. The Iraqi railroad network begins its southern route at Umm Qasr port, and heads north. Moreover the improvement of the connections with the port in the Governorate of Basra will be very important for the development of manufacturing sector.

Although Basra is one of the best governorate of the country in terms of import-export flows of for both raw and final product materials, improving connections and strengthening relationships with neighbouring governorates could be an opportunity to enlarge the market and reach of Basra products and imports.

As the planning opportunities, it should be noted that the private sector presence in Basra Governorate is slightly higher than at national level. This can represent an opportunity for the Governorate since the private sector can play a critical role in the reconstruction and development.

4. Sea transport

As the only outlet to the sea for Iraq, the four ports of Basra are the main channel for cargoes carried by sea. The total cargo volume in Iraqi ports (Umm Qasr Port, Khor Al Zubayr Port, Abu Flus Port and Al Maqil Port) reached 10.12 million tonnes (t) in 2001. After that, the total cargo decreased in volume until 2003 with a handling volume of 1.81 million t. The total cargo volume then increased after making the lowest volume in 2003 and recorded 12.63 million t in 2006. The latest cargo handling volume was 15.87 million t in 201427.

The container cargo volume and the conventional cargo volume through of Umm Qasr Port have changed in the range between 134 000 TEUs and 736 000 TEUs, and between 4.64 million tons and 6.84 million t, respectively. The container cargo increased annually from 2006 to 2014. The conventional cargo decreased from 2006 to 2010 and after that began to increase but dropped in 2014. It is noted that the handling volume of container cargoes has increased more than 5 times from 2006 to 2014. The container cargoes in UQP are almost all imported and the export cargoes have not been recorded for the last nine years.

The number of arrival of ships in Umm Qasr Port and Khor Al Zubayr Port was 900 and 358 respectively in 2011 and 834 and 416 respectively in 2012. The total number of arrival in port was 1258 and 1250 in 2011 and in 2012 respectively. The number of arrival of dhow ships has been decreasing remarkably from 147 in 2011 to 101 in 2012. The total number of arrival and departure of ships are double, 2516 in 2011 and 2500 in 2012, because the number of departure of ships is the same with the number of arrival.

5. Agriculture

Basra has a total area of 1 980 863 ha. According data from DoA office, 65% of the total land is suitable for agriculture – and yet the agriculture sector plays a limited role in the Governorate economy. Agriculture and agro-industry have the opportunity to maintain the population in rural areas, act as safety net and offer long term sustainability.

Agriculture in Basra province is characterized by: . Spreading palm gardens along the banks of the Shat al-Arab River and its tributaries . Dissemination of tomato farms in Zubair and Safwan, and its tributaries . Cereals (wheat and barley) in the north of Basra . Breeding of cattle (cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels) in all provinces . Fishing in the Gulf and Shat al-Arab and the water bodies in the swamps.

27 Master plan study for port sector in the Republic of Iraq, Final report, December 2015, Japan International Cooperation Agency

41 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

Plant agriculture is based on the cultivation of wheat, barley, vegetables and some fruits for daily consumption. Palm orchards concentrate near river banks. The date palm cultivation has declined drastically in the last 30 years with a great reduction of the date palm grove. The area used to be the largest area for date cultivation in the world but mainly the Iran-Iraq war has caused its decline.

As in-kind subsidies (e.g. seeds, fertilizers,) are getting scarcer in support of rural communities, farmers have started to leave toward cities to seek other breadwinning opportunities. This trend should be discouraged as towns do not offer many options for unskilled workers and the rate of unemployment is growing together with citizen frustration.

The share of land suitable for agriculture varies greatly from 1% in Al-Dair and Al-Hartha agrisections to 95% in Al-Nashwa agrisection (see Chapter I.2.6, Table 3). We note that in Al-Dair and Al-Hartha agrisections farmers cultivated all possible land, and in 2012 they also planted an extra 10% probably using some salty or marginal areas usually not suitable for agriculture.

Basra suffers from lack of engineering systems, bad Figure 13 Decline in palm trees from 1952 to 2016 management of the irrigation system, and 16 absence of soil drainage and high level of soil 14 salinity. This results in low utilisation of land. 12 10 Demand for more diversified products is rising. 8 Some customers can afford to pay high prices for 6 4 quality processed foods and there seem to be a Millions 2

healthy pride in consuming locally grown products. 0

Most food commodities are by now imported from

2013 1959 1966 1972 1977 1990 1995 2003 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015

abroad. Dairy products, fresh vegetables and 1953

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

canned food are flowing in from Syria, Iran, Jordan –

2012 1958 1960 1971 1976 1989 1994 2002 2007 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 and Kuwait. 1952 Palm trees (n), 1952–2016 Table 8 Palm Tree Cultivation Plan Qadha Agricultural Planned Completed Completion Loss (n) Reason of loss Divisions (trees, n) (n) rate (%) Al-Basra Al-Hartha - 2000 Off Plan 1500 Non-climbable high palm trees, abandoned palm tree orchards, tiny (useless shoots) Al-Zubair Al-Zubair 2750 1375 50 - Desert sand lands which rely on groundwater Safwan 3200 3250 102 275 Severely high temperatures in comparison with previous years, salinity of irrigation water Al-Qurna Al-Qurna 500 500 100 - - Al-Thagar 330 312 95 - - Al-Dair 450 515 115 - - Al-Midaina Al-Midaina 750 776 104 626 Useless palm trees Talha 1250 1250 100 479 Pests, lack of water, soil salinity, negligence of farmers Iz-Eldeen 2250 2815 126 - - Salim Shat Al- Shat Al-Arab 1000 446 47 2575 Removed for residential use of land, salinity of Arab soil because of salinity of water Al-Nashwa 2500 2500 100 - - Abu Al- Abu Al- 6500 3455 54 11 774 Removed for residential use of land, removed Khaseeb Khaseeb for cultivating new shoots, high salinity of Shatt Al-Arab water Al-Faw Al-Faw 1000 625 63 7970 High salinity of Shatt Al-Arab water Al-Seeba 900 280 32 1830 High salinity along with soil waterlogging in the absence of water drainages Total (14 divisions) 23 380 20 099 86 27 029

Table 9 Fishing indicators Fishing permits granted and renewed (n) Renewed Granted Total Amounts of fish caught (tonnes) Permits for growing fish – 1 43 River fish 1 605.63 Fishing boat permits 225 169 1 243 Fishing permits for individual fishermen 125 178 1 934 Sea fish 3 158.63 Fishing ship permits 7 13 173 Permits for growing fish in floating cages 71 - 240

42 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

6. Tourism

The most important attraction of the region is the city of Basra itself. It can be said that the city has two souls, the one related to its oldest phase at the beginning of the Islamic Period: Zubair, the city cited in “One Thousands and one night” as one of the richest town in the Middle East, and Basra of the Ottoman and English Period, built 13 km north of the older Zubair.

Zubair is probably the widest archaeological area of the world (a part Rome) and some archaeological excavations are being carried on by Iraqi Archaeologists on it. The growth of the city makes big problems to the protection and excavation of Zubair, and on the archaeological area, house, villas, bridges and so on, have been built and other projects of construction are foreseen. Given this situation, the appeal for tourism in this part of the city is far from being satisfying, and much work should be done in order to include this area as a call for visitors.

On the other hand, the city of Basra itself has many attractions, either ready to be exploited from the touristic point of view or which is the commonest case, to be rehabilitated. Beyond the natural attraction represented by the Shatt el Arab and the Corniche alongside it, the realization of a Museum Area in the old place where the Saddam Palaces were built, will represent the main focus for every visit of Basra. Moreover, one of the most beautiful palaces of Saddam is being restored in order to be the central archaeological museum of Basra: it is worth stressing that the funds for the rehabilitation have been already allocated by the provincial council and the opening of the Museum is foreseen in April 2014.

The city has a great power of attraction and, with an appropriate presentation to the international public, can be the focus, together with the archaeological sites of Thi-Qar and the natural landscapes and religious attraction of Missan, of a touristic circuit of Southern Iraq.

Nowadays about 100 canals are cut through the area of the city of Basra. In the past centuries the presence of a higher number of water courses credited the city as the “Venice of Arabs”. This characteristic is today less evident, not only because of the urbanization of the city itself, but also because of the poor state of conservation of many canals inside the town. While some projects of rehabilitation of this canalization are being carried on today, it is highly recommended to rehabilitate this peculiar trait of old Basra for touristic purposes.

As all the major cities of Iraq, Basra is also an important religious centre especially for Shi’a but also for the Sunni believers. In the city old mosques can be found along with modern ones, and the city is the centre where the Shi’a pilgrims meet during Mokharram, for the long on foot pilgrimage to Kerbala and Najaf. In the town it is possible to find also the presence of other religious creeds, such as the Christians and, in a much lesser degree, the Jews. This multiplicity of influences in the local culture and heritage is easily explained by the fact that Basra is a port, open to other people and experiences.

As far as the infrastructure is concerned – hotels, restaurants, leisure parks, sport attraction and so on – Basra seems to be already today very well equipped, and already able to accept a great number of tourists, it is very important to stress the centrality of the touristic development for the city because up to now Basra is known practically only for its being the main centre in Iraq for oil extraction. . The Cultural Centre is located at the beginning of the Corniche (the promenade along the Shatt el Arab). . Sindbad Island: This island is a marvellous tourist site which is located at the middle of Shatt Al Arab, opposite to Shatt Al Arab Hotel. It is linked to both river banks via the Sindbad Bridge. It has wonderful gardens decorated with beautiful fountains. There are facilities for visitor comfort, a tourist coffee shop, and tourist houses for residence, in addition to the floating hotel near the Island, and a vast coffee shop at the southern end of the Island. . Qurna City: Located 74 km to the north of Basra; Qurna is the legendary place of Adam's tree and the paradise of Eden, where Tigris and Euphrates meet to form together Shatt Al-Arab, and where farms and orchards are plenty, particularly date palm orchards. . Abu Al-Khaseeb: This city is located on Shatt Al- Arab, 26 km to the south of Basra. It is the city of the late great poet Badr Shakir As-Sayyab, and also the centre of date palm forests, which are unique for their beautiful landscapes. . In 2013, Basra has 55 hotels and tourist complexes. Employees are 825. The number of visitors to these hotels in the same year was 220,557 and the average length of stay for a tourist is 2,2 nights per person. The number restaurants, cafes and casinos in 2013 is 1 475, with 89.1% of them in the urban area.

43 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

IV. PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY

1. Transport network

Rail transport

The existing rail line within Basra Governorate belongs to the so-called RL1 (according to Iraqi Transport Master Plan 2005). This railway branch, constructed about 40 years ago, has a total length across the country of 608.913 km with 43 stations (including Baghdad central station), and a maximum design speed of 85 km/h. It is a quite obsolete railway line and the condition of the substructures and tracks are from fair to poor, while for the whole line the signalling and telecommunications apparatus are outdated and in very bad condition.

Large parts of the current rail network in Iraq were obsolete and suffered from outdated designs and malfunctioning signal and communication systems, and some lines were in bad condition. These factors caused operating speeds to drop to low levels and exposes passengers and freight to danger. Thus these lines have been rehabilitated to boost performance, increase operating speeds and improve their specifications. Work is also underway to convert single-track lines to double track lines in order to increase capacity and provide a higher level of safety.

Work has also taken place on a new communication system for control between stations and trains by using wireless devices to link stations and trains. This system replaces the old wire system with a global positioning system (GPS) to track train movement and their locations

Work is ongoing to double the Baghdad-Basra, Baghdad- Mosul, Hammman al alil-Sabouniya, Sabouniya-Rabia, as well as to modernize and rehabilitate lines currently in place in order to boost the efficiency of these lines, increase operating speeds and improve their specifications.

The SGI Field Survey 2013 revealed that there are two main ongoing projects regarding the rehabilitation of the railway inside Basra Governorate: the first affects directly the existing RL1 till Basra city, while the second concerns the construction of a new rail line among Basra and Shalamja, close to the Iranian border, with the possibility in a medium - long term to be inserted into a wider international railway system.

Roads and bridges

Basra Governorate has a main road network (excluding secondary, local and track roads) of almost 891 km, counting also the length of the sections of the Expressway n.1.

The backbone of the road network of the Governorate is the Expressway n.1, the most important Iraqi transportation infrastructure connecting the Jordan country to the port of Um Qasr, in Al Zubair District. The highway comes from Thi Qar Governorate at north-west, crossing Al Zubair District till Um Qasr port on the Gulf, while a shorter section of almost 30 km leads to the city of Basra. The expressway has six lane paved carriageways with controlled accesses. The route of a new express way from Basra to Zakhu, which is on the Turkish border, was planned.

The other main axes crossing the Governorate belong to the primary road network linking at national scale the Governorate of Basra to the neighbouring regions. The Route n.6 (Baghdad, Kut, Amara, Basra) runs along a north–south axis up to Missan and the northern areas of Basra Governorate. The road ends in the centre of Basra city, crossing the Districts of Basra and Al Qurna, leading northward to Amara city and continuing its route along the eastern bank of Tigris river.

The Route n.8 (Baghdad, Al Hillah, Al-Qādisiyyah, As Samawah, Nasiriyah, Basra, Kuwait) comes from Thi Qar Governorate parallel to the Expressway n.1, intersecting it in two points within Basra Governorate; the road leads to Al Zubair city and it continues at south towards Safwan district capital and Kuwait country.

Table 10 Roads and bridges Roads (km) Expressway Main roads Secondary roads Rural roads Dirt roads/ Tracks 228 720 640 1 262 250 Bridges (n) Concrete Railing Float Intersections with railway 56 22 9 5

44 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

As a result of the policy of openness to the world and import large numbers of vehicles the roads length and bridges number cover about of 40% of the actual need of maintenance. Road capacity is insufficient and leading to traffic accidents increasing. Rehabilitation and development of the railway network will help to overcome the insufficient capacity of existing roads.

The main and secondary road network covers only the 88.9% of the population living in the whole Governorate, reaching the 100% in the Districts of Al Faw and Abe Khaseeb, and almost in the District of Basra. This value is slightly below the recommended benchmark, which can be considered equal to 90%. Accessibility is only 50–75 % in Al-Midaina and Shatt al-Arab qadhas.

Only 63% of the surveyed population of the Governorate have easy access (<10 km) to Expressway n.1 that crosses Basra Governorate from north-west to south-east through the districts of Al Zubair and Basra, and to the existing rail tracks, enclosed only within the boundaries of the same two districts. The served inhabitants live mainly in Al Zubair (100%) and Basra (97.4%) qadhas, while the high percentage found for the District of Shatt Al Arab is due to the proximity of the district capital to the rail track ending in the centre of Basra city.

Considering a benchmark of 1 km/km2 of road extension per each 100 people/km228 - far below the benchmark in the majority of the Districts and shows the necessity of investments in road sector in order to improve the road network of the Governorate. The only cases with a fair situation, as highlighted in the following graph, are the District of Al Faw, where the current value is higher than the expected benchmark, and the District of Shatt Al Arab, below the standard for about 35%.

Table 11 Road density per qadha Qadha Road density Length of roads Area Population density Standard benchmark (km/km2) (km) (km2) (people/km2) (km/km2) Al-Zubair 0.22 2 252 10 194 46 0.46 Basra 0.58 510 884 1 482 14.82 Abu Al-Khaseeb 0.45 512 1 149 178 1.78 Al-Qurna 0.67 1 285 1 917 139 1.39 Al-Faw 0.43 517 1 207 32 0.32 Shatt Al-Arab 0.48 1 047 2 167 74 0.74 Al-Midaina 0.55 544 996 221 2.21 Total 0.36 6 667 18 515 144 1.44 Streets in urban areas

Responsibility for the maintenance of streets in urban neighbourhoods rests with municipal institutions in the Governorate. 63% of the streets in Basra are paved. Outside the province's capital it is 46%. This is due both to the lack of financial resources and to unfinished sewerage projects. Most of the streets do not meet building standards. A solution to the issue of street congestion - a total of 37 "hot spots" in the centre of Basra, of which 27 heavily overloaded intersections - has to be solved. Street congestion is also due to power interruptions, which is why signalling devices often do not work. It is necessary to improve the accessibility of areas around markets and industrial areas.

Table 12 Street pavement in the districts Qadha Nahia Paved streets (m) Unpaved streets (m) Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 200 000 107 200 Safwan 60 307 21 243 Um Qasr 24 000 50 000 Al-Basra Al-Hartha 60 000 40 000 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 85 714 342 857 Al-Dair 8 640 11 902 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 6 562 11 838 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 24 189 68 930 Al-Nashwa 20 000 20 000 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 85 000 60 000 Al-Midaina Talha (Al-Sadiq) 10 547 23 846 Iz-Eldeen Salim 16 559 14 500 Al-Midaina QC 25 716 60 653 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 35 465 15 350 Total 662 699 848 319

28 Ministry of Planning – Iraq National Development Strategy 2010-2014.

45 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS

Air transport

There are two operating airports in the Governorate: Basra International Airport is located almost 10 km westward from the city centre, and the main current destinations are all around the Asian continent, including the Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, India, Qatar, and the domestic routes towards Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Najaf; the other working airport is the small military airfield of Shaibah, located southwest of Basra city.

With the sole exception of the dismissed airfield of Maqal in the middle of Basra city (nowadays partially overlapped by a paved wide road), all the other military airfields are scattered within the District of Al Zubair and they are no more operational.

Basra International Airport is currently composed of one building, with capacity for 2.0 million travellers annually and each building contains 5 air bridges for planes to dock. The airport contains one runway for take-off and landing, 4 km long and 60 m wide. The airport also has buildings for air traffic control and communications.

Sea transport

Basra is the only Iraqi gateway to the sea, and totally it counts 4 commercial ports and 2 platforms to export oil. The largest cargo ports are the ones of Umm Qasr (in Umm Qasr nahia) and Khor Al Zubair (KZP, in Al Zubair nahia), in terms of average carried freight per year, followed by the smaller ones of Abou Flous (in Abe Khaseeb nahia) and of Magal (in Basra nahia). As a result of the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq, and the damage to ports during the most recent war events, the port machinery and equipment are obsolete and much of it is non- operational.

The liner service to Iraq is on the feeder service method. All the import containers are landed from the mother ships at one of the UAE ports, Jebel Ali or Khor Fakkan, and on-carried to Umm Qasr Port (UQP). UQP received 80 ship calls per month in 2012. KZP is mainly used as the port for oil product carriers.

The existing channel system is composed of 2 routes. One route is Shatt al Arab Channel being established along Shatt al Arab River that leads to Abu Flus Port and Al Maqil Port. The other route is an approach to Umm Qasr Port and Khor Al Zubair Port, and called as Khawr Abdallah Channel (aka Khor Al Zubayr Channel).

In Iraq, the long lasted war condition such as Iraq-Iran War (1980-1988) and followed by other wars, has caused considerably little maintenance works of navigation channels, by which both channels have been suffered from insufficient water depths due to serious siltation along the channels. Further, a large number of dredgers which were necessary for channel maintenance works were sunk and have become long time obstacles in the channels. Under such circumstances, the restorations of the existing channels and port rehabilitation have taken place since 2003, just after the war ending, and especially the Khawr Abdallah Channel were the first priority of the rehabilitation/restoration, as this is leading to the Country’s primary port, Umm Qasr Port, in order to enable such transportation of necessary supporting materials for the restoration/ reconstruction of the Country.

There is the inland waterway of 1015 km in length in Iraq and the Shatt al Arab River has a section of about 130 km possible for regular navigation. Vessels with a shallow draft are navigable in the Tigris and Euphrates river because the waterway has been dredged up to 3 meters in depth. And small vessels were navigable in the Shatt al Basra waterway before closing.

In the field of river transportation, activity has almost come to a halt due to the security situation, water scarcity, lack of pumps in the rivers and need for dredging, in addition to river current obstructions such as the remains of bridges damaged in previous wars or because temporary, floating or service bridges were built. The revitalization of this activity will involve eliminating the above causes.

River transport

As regards the river transport, the main waterways crossing the Governorate are the following: . The Euphrates coming from Thi Qar at north-west and passing through Al Midaina QC till Al Qurna; . The Tigris coming from Missan at north till its confluence with Tigris in Al-Qurna QC; . Shatt Al Arab River from Al Qurna until its mouth in the Gulf southward, passing by Basra capital, Shatt Al Arab, Abu Al-Khaseeb and Al Faw QC; . Shatt Al Basra canal, from Basra QC to the harbours of Khor Al-Zubair and Umm Qasr on the Gulf.

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Opportunities for developing transport systems with neighbouring governorates

Forecasts indicate that during 2035 the main passenger flow will be Basra–Missan and Basra–Thi-Qar. Yet, development of transport connections with neighbouring Governorates are hampered by lack in multimodal infrastructures for freight transport, especially on waterways and railways (no railway network to Missan) and poor quality of public transportation services. Constraints exists at the level of the Governorate and at the national level.

Once regarded as having one of the Middle East’s most comprehensive transportation systems, Iraq’s transport infrastructure has suffered for more than two decades of neglect and underinvestment. As a result, the country faces enormous challenges in reconstructing its transportation networks and facilities, as well as in re- establishing key transport services.

. According to COSIT data for 2010-2011, the Iraqi transport network consists of more than almost 42 000 km of roads (including main, secondary and rural roads); approximately 40% of the paved road network is in bad/very bad condition, while not even the 6% is in good condition. . In 2008 the overall length of existing Iraqi rail network totalled 2295 km, of which 1901 km belonged to the 5 main lines, and counted 108 train stations. In addition to the main lines there are several branch lines serving industrial and military sites, and other minor branches most of them not even active.

The RL1 Baghdad – Basra - Shuaibah - Umm Qasr permits to Basra Governorate to be reached on rail tracks from the neighbouring Thi Qar, but especially it links the rest of Iraq to Umm Qasr port – the major commercial harbour of the country.

The aviation and river mobilities are the main existing transport sectors that make of Basra Governorate the most important gateway of Iraq towards the neighbouring countries and the overall middle-east Asia, especially as concerns the flow of freight traffic.

In particular, regarding the air sector, Basra province is served by the international airport of Basra, while the close military airports of Najaf and Nasiriya could be improved and used for civil aviation.

The main problems of the sector in Basra that need to be resolved in this regard relate to the poor quality of road conditions and public transportation services; hundreds of vessels sunk near the ports; the obsolete machinery and equipment of the 4 main existing harbours.

2. Drinking water supply

The sector relies for services on a network of state entities. Under the Governorates’ directorates there are district and sub-district water offices (delivery units) which manage the water and sanitation service within the administrative areas under their jurisdiction.

In general, these bodies work under a set of dependencies that limit their control over water quality and price of services. The present institutional structure does not allow for any delegation or autonomy of service providers. In effect, service providers have no freedom or responsibility with respect to planning of financing/investment and construction/maintenance. Finally, this limits improvements in services, maintenance and operations.

All the water used for water supply purposes in Basra Governorate comes mainly from Shatt Al Arab (water supply infrastructures located in the northern districts have the intakes along Euphrates and Tigris). The river water is used for drinking water supply to urban and rural areas in the governorate as well as for agricultural purposes in the areas along the main rivers and canals. The water quality suffers from high salinity and due to the low water quality; the water requires treatment before being supplied to populated areas. Several treatment plants, compact units, or desalination units (RO units) were installed to provide the populated areas with its water needs.

The largest WTPs of the Governorate are: . Basra Unified WTP that supply water to Basra city with 4000 m³/h of design capacity. . Al Qurna WTP providing water with 2000 m³/h design capacity . Shatt Al Arab WTP provides water with 1500 m³/h design capacity.

The other WTPs have a design capacity lower than 1200 m³/h.

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Table 13 Water treatment infrastructure in Basra province Qadha Nahia Working treatment plants (n) Share of WTPs, CUs, ROs (%) Water treatment Compact Desalination unit/ WTP CU RO Total plant (WTP) unit (CU) Reverse osmosis plant (RO) Al-Basra Al-Basra QC 4 96 4 23 76 0 100 Al-Hartha - 12 5 90 10 100 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 1 21 - 15 85 100 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 1 18 3 8 90 2 100 Safwan 1 3 2 60 36 4 100 Um Qasr - - 1 100 100 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 3 13 - 48 52 100 Al-Dair 1 27 3 5 94 1 100 Al-Thagar (Al- - 6 8 100 100 Qaem) Al-Faw Al-Faw QC - 6 8 60 40 100 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 1 13 4 41 56 3 100 Al-Nashwa 1 13 3 16 78 6 100 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC - 16 6 96 4 100 Iz-Eldeen Salim - 21 3 98 2 100 Talha (Al-Sadiq) - 19 3 98 2 100 Total 13 284 53

According to the estimations made, the total production capacity in the governorate in 2013 is more than 77,440 m3/h, such a value resulting from the sum of the production capacity of the district areas.

The water supply system of Basra governorate mainly relies on CUs rather than conventional WTPs in producing water. As stated above, in fact, most of the districts and sub districts get their supply of water from CUs (more than 79%) and the rest from conventional WTPs (18%) and ROs (2%). Therefore, this situation will speed up the transition from water being supplied by the existing CUs currently in force to a water system based on conventional and higher capacity WTPs. Troubles related to use of a number of CUs spread over the governorate, in fact, is due to many issues like, for instance, their relative small capacity of production, the high requirements in terms of routine maintenance which implies higher cost and labour; also, the chemicals to be supplied to the CUs make their management by the water directorates difficult from the logistics point of view due to the relative distances, and the large regions over the governorate where CUs are established. On the contrary, the conventional WTPs benefit from their high productivity and lower maintenance needs. As a result of above considerations, Basra governorate shall urge in order to build new WTPs which can meet the existing and the future water demands, reducing needs and dependence on the existing CUs.

The households use various sources of drinking water. The majority (95.5%) get water through a residential unit connected to public network. This value is lower than the country’s average by 9.3 percentage points.

Reliable information about the current coverage of the water supply system is available for the urban areas of the Governorate. According to the assessment of the current situation in the cities, in the Governorate’s urban areas, the coverage of the water supply service range between 80 -95% and the average percentage of the coverage is about 92.8 % (except for Um Qasr nahia). This value is considered acceptable and needs to be improved in the future considering the importance of the water service. The rest of unserved urban area is provided by tanks. According to the gathered data the nahia of Um Qasr has 0% of water coverage; likely tanks provide water to the area.

Urban areas enjoy the best level of coverage as can be seen, but this level drops off considerably in the villages. Given the present economic situation and fiscal constraints, it is going to take longer to bring the service coverage up to an acceptable level in the rural areas. Expansion of services to those with insufficient water or who are not connected is a key objective of the sector and to improve services as fast as possible.

Table 14 Drinking water sources in Iraq and Basra (2014) Residential unit connected to Public network Water River, canal or Open or covered Other public network tap tank stream well Basra 95.5% 1.1% 1.9% 1.0% 0.2% 0.3% Iraq 86.2% 1.9% 3.0% 3.8% 4.5% 0.5%

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Table 15 Urban coverage of water service (% of population) Qadha Nahia Urban population Water coverage (%) Basra Al-Basra QC 1 111 223 95 Al-Hartha 106 769 90 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 187 561 95 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 273 199 80 Safwan 23 425 70 Um Qasr 45 223 70 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 114 852 95 Al-Dair 28 338 95 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 3 068 95 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 32 553 95 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 120 811 95 Al-Nashwa 2 855 95 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC 41 447 95 Iz-Eldeen Salim 25 888 95 Talha (Al-Sadiq) 28 512 95

There is a total lack of water meters at the private connections. The accounting system applied by the Water Directorate, is based on a flat rate tariff which does not provide any incentive for a proper and careful use of the water by the customers.

Almost half of the governorate’s inhabitants report the availability of drinking water as bad or very bad. Less than half of the people connected to the public water network have water available for the full day. The limited availability of drinking water is directly connected to a number of environmental problems threatening Basra’s fresh water supply. Dams and irrigation projects on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have diverted much of the water flow heading to the Shatt Al-Arab, and with the receding water levels in the rivers, salt water from the Persian Gulf has been reaching ever further inland. Waste water from both Iraq’s and Iran’s industry and households flows into the rivers untreated, further diminishing the water supply. Salinization and pollution do not only threaten the drinking water supply but also have devastating effects on agriculture.

Many of the current problems of the sector are related to the separation of functions between (1) operations and maintenance and (2) investment planning, financing and implementation. Additionally, the involvement of many Ministries and governmental entities with some level of control leads to overlap of responsibilities in the sector, creating further problems and inefficiencies. A major problem is water quality itself, affected by water scarcity in the Euphrates, high rates of salinity and pollution, and contamination and leakages in the outdated supply network.

There is need to update the outdated water supply network, including mapping. There is need to improve the system for reporting and the collection of fees for use of the network. It is also necessary to introduce a modern system for monitoring the status of the network (e.g. pressure levels, etc.) to allow timely identification of problems and improved planning.

3. Wastewater management

In Basra Governorate, there is overall lack of wastewater collection networks and treatment plants. Only one wastewater treatment facility exists within Al Basra Qadha. The characteristics of the existing wastewater treatment plant are summarized in the following table:

Table 16 Wastewater treatment plants in Basra Governorate (1) Qadha Nahia WWTP Design capacity [m3/h] Actual capacity [m3/h) Plant type Basra Basra QC Hamadan WWTP 11 800 9 440 Activated Slunge

93.6% of Basra’s inhabitants have access to improved sanitation facilities, but 26.7% rely on covered canals to dispose waste water29. However, data from the population statistics (2013) show that 65% of the population is served by a sewerage network, 35% are served by septic tanks and 5% of the population is not connected to sewerage30.

29 NGO Consultation Committee for Iraq (Dec 2015), “Basra Governorate Profile.” 30 Environment in Iraq, Central Statistical Organisation, 2015.

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Storm water drainage systems are present in all the main towns and due to the absence of wastewater collectors in unserved area, the common practice for households is to connect illegally to the storm systems. The coverage of the wastewater network in urban area is reported below (Tables 17 and 18). The coverage range is between 2% and 70% with high share in Al Basra, Al Zubair and Al Faw QCs. The proportion of the population that suffers from congestion in the sewerage network in 2013 is 45%.31

Table 17 Wastewater pumping stations (rainwater, sewage, combined) in Basra Governorate Qadha Type of pumping station Capacity [m3/h] Number of pumping stations Al-Basra rain water 62 786 78 sewage 86 796 70 sewage + rain water 3 900 3 Abu Al-Khaseeb rain water 1 500 1 Al-Zubair rain water 2 000 5 sewage 200 1 Al-Qurna rain water 2 210 4 Al-Faw rain water 7 800 11 sewage 5 150 15 Shat al-Arab rain water 4 500 1 Al-Midaina rain water 4 000 1

Table 18 Sewer network coverage in Basra Governorate Qadha Nahia Urban population Sewer network coverage (% of people) Al-Basra Al-Basra QC 1 111223 50 Al-Hartha 106 769 2 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 187 561 2 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 273 199 70 Safwan 23 425 2 Um Qasr 45 223 6 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 114 852 2 Al-Dair 28 338 2 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 3 068 2 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 32 553 50 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 120 811 2 Al-Nashwa 2 855 2 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC 41 447 2 Iz-Eldeen Salim 25 888 2 Talha (Al-Sadiq) 28 512 2

Raw sewage is discharged untreated to water courses and the environment. There is no public sewerage service in many rural communities in the Governorate. Households in many cases discharge their wastewater into septic tanks and then directly onto unpaved roads from where the sewage runs into small ditches or into the small canals used for irrigation purposes which cross the inhabited areas.

Considering the lack of any sanitation facilities it will take many decades to raise service standards to fully satisfactory levels because of the discrepancy between the large investments needed to satisfy demand and the limited amount of resources that can be mobilized with the present financial constraints.

Wastewater collection and processing services are vastly important for the health and quality of life of people. This includes the management of wastewater from homes; industrial, commercial, educational and other facilities; and from surface runoff (rainwater, etc.). The sector is run by the Sewerage Directorate under the Ministry of Housing, Municipalities and Public Works.

The main problem in the sector is the major shortage of sewerage and sanitation service in cities – due to: low/no network coverage of cities; depreciated and damaged sewerage network; neglect; high costs for maintenance; poor maintenance and operation of treatment plants.

Sanitation, especially in small towns, is predominantly a private good with the majority of households investing in septic tanks or latrines, depending on location. There is currently one wastewater treatment plant in operation in Basra city. As a result, the watercourses, especially in the big cities, are severely polluted. Sanitation in rural areas is rudimentary with financing sources coming predominantly from community/users contributions.

31 Environment in Iraq, Central Statistical Organisation, 2015.

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Sanitation represents an urban challenge in the short term. With urbanization and the increasing degradation of urban environment the focus of the government should be on urban sanitation. Given the relative inexperience of sanitation in the country and the Governorate, there is a need to develop an improved understanding of the key issues including: . Institutional arrangements, e.g. stand-alone wastewater companies, combined companies, separation of roles and responsibilities; . Cost recovery via tariffs; . Financing mechanisms; . Appropriate technical approaches and standards of service; . Capacity building since there is a general lack of expertise in the sector

Also, it is necessary to leverage sanitation benefits through soft interventions. Although provision of latrines and sanitation infrastructure brings improved outcomes, these are significantly increased when beneficiaries are exposed to information, education and communication on household sanitation practices.

Whether urban or rural, water or sanitation, there is a need to improve the collection and quality of data about the sector. In addition, as the sectors become larger and more sophisticated, there will be a need to further enhance the technical and managerial capacity of a full range of stakeholders including service providers, system owners, oversight agencies in government and customers.

4. Municipal services – waste management

The work of municipal institutions is governed by the Law No. 21 (2008) and its amendments, and the Municipal Administration Law No. 165 (1964) and its amendments, in addition to Government-issued laws and regulations related to the work of municipalities.

Municipal services include the maintenance of streets, sidewalks, intersections, green/recreation and market areas; the development of cities in accordance with certain standards; care for traffic engineering; waste collection and operation of landfills in compliance with health standards. (Municipal service with regard to streets is covered in Chapter IV.1 Transport network.)

The share of maintained urban green areas is 67% of all existing ones. The impossibility of maintaining and using all green areas is mainly due to the lack of water for their irrigation - the municipality uses private tanks as well as the high salinity of the water from Shat al-Arab. There is also a shortage of skilled labour due to low pay.

The NSWMP, 2007 states that legislation relating to Waste Management and public health protection is rudimentary compared to international best practice, and identifies the need for new laws. The main law referring to Waste Management is the Environment Law No. 27 of 2009, which was issued for the purpose of conserving natural resources to achieve the health, well-being, sustainable development, and environmental awareness. This law is consistent with international environmental principles and aims to reduce environmental pollution caused by wrong practices. It furthermore strengthens the role of executive bodies in applying decisions and monitoring measures to protect and improve the environment. At a Governorate level, Basra Governor, in consultation with the Governorate Council, is responsible for overall planning, budgeting, and evaluation of municipal services and for the day-to-day management of all municipal affairs.

Municipalities are the main authority responsible for the collection and transfer of solid waste from major urban cities which include streets, residential, industrial, and commercial areas to the final disposal location. Responsibilities in the SWM sector are shared by the representatives of the MMPW.

In Basra Governorate, municipalities are responsible for collection, storage, transport and final disposal of solid waste. In recent times, the local authorities in some cases have entrusted some of the collection functions to private contractors, under municipality monitoring. Limited facilities were found to be available for solid waste collection and transport and were available mostly to major centres. Outskirt areas did not have such services and tended to dump their waste at the nearest available land.

At present, commercial waste and waste from small and medium sized industries are collected and disposed together with municipal waste,32 while industrial wastes from important industries are managed by the respective industry. However, there is no system specifically for the collection, transportation, treatment or

32 UNICEF, ISWMMP, p.13.

51 LADP in Iraq – Basra PDS dumping of industrial waste. Moreover, there is no legal structure to define and control the management of industrial waste including hazardous waste. Hospitals are generally equipped with incinerators for the destruction of contaminated clinical wastes. Some of the incinerators especially in large hospitals in Basra are often non-functional either because of the non-availability of spare parts, lack of maintenance and absence of skilled technicians. Clinical wastes from hospitals that do not have incinerators or which are not functioning are mixed with municipal solid wastes and end up in open dumps. In rural villages and dwellings, no formal transfer system exists resulting in waste being burned or deposited in local village dumps. The most applied method for the collection of municipal waste is that based on community bins on the streets (the so-called “formal system”). Current deficiency in the number of bins distributed throughout the urban areas has resulted in waste filling the bins and accumulating around on streets.

Primary storage locations currently operative for waste for each municipality includes bins with capacity: . from 0.5 to 1 m3 in Basra City Municipality . from 0.5 up to 8 m3 in other Basra municipalities.

There is also an informal collection system (Zaballeen) - a private system offering door side collection service (door pick-up) in high-income and middle-income areas. Waste that is collected by informal sector collectors is usually sorted by the same collectors. Sorting is performed manually in streets, open-areas, or at open dumps to recover salvageable material, that is then bailed and sold. Salvageable material generally includes paper, plastics, wood, glass, metal, cloth, and leather. Remnants of waste from the sorting process are left at the sorting location.

The only one sorting plant exists in Al Zubair QC. The private sector system introduced recently in large cities and towns of Basra governorate is a refined model of Zaballeen system retaining its scope but utilizing upgraded equipment and facilities.

The majority of waste collected by municipalities or by private contractors is disposed of in open dumps and often burned. Large heaps of garbage on the outskirts of the major cities were observed. In some of them, the garbage is periodically levelled and compacted, in others the garbage is piled as high as equipment would permit, and some were ignited and allowed to burn to reduce volume. Each governorate municipality has its own dumpsites or uses another dumpsite located in another municipality.

Most of these sites are uncontrolled dumpsites, their design is not suitable, and they do not work according to proper operating standards. These sites have negative impact on public health or environment. There are 15 random dumpsites in the governorate, 14 of them are uncontrolled. The only official landfill is in Al Zubair nahia. Some of these dumpsites have a natural lining of clay soil with the water table deep below the ground surface, which may allow them to be classified as controlled dumpsites in need of developing an appropriate management plan. Currently, there is no reported operation plan for any of the dumpsites.

According to the Directorate of Statistics, in Basra QC urban areas the average collection is ca. 85.7%, while in rural areas this is ca. 19.3%; the average is 72.4% (2010 data). Following the law of municipal management No. 165 of 1964 (amended), municipal institutions are not responsible for providing municipal services in villages and rural areas outside the municipal boundaries. This led to the decline in the proportion of the population served in the countryside. SW generation in urban and rural areas varies from one municipality to another according to standard of living. After the “formal system” collection there is no recycling therefore the amount of waste dumped coincide with the collected waste. Figures for 2013 show that the percentage of the population served by waste collection has reached 93.5%.33

It is necessary to build landfills, recycling plants. The process for determining the establishment and realization of new dumping sites seem to be particularly complicated and time consuming, as it would be expected, involving municipality and agriculture officials, relevant Ministries, the state supreme committee for land allocation and MoF. On the other hand, the need of establishing environmentally safe and approved landfill sites seem to be a priority for the near future of the Governorate. The excessive delay of this process could lead to a possible growth of unauthorized dump sites, with all the negative consequences this might cause.

It can be envisaged that main planning constraints concerning solid waste and its disposal in Basra would arise from the potential damage it can be generated to the main natural resources of the Governorate (water courses and marshlands). Existing planning strategies and on-going developments of new disposal sites in environmentally vulnerable areas might represent a criticality in this field.

33 Environment in Iraq, Central Statistical Organisation, 2015.

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Table 19 Solid waste disposed of in landfills34 Qadha Nahia Solid waste disposed of in landfills (kg/person/day) Al-Basra Al-Basra QC 2.13 Al-Hartha 0.71 Abu Al-Khaseeb Abu Al-Khaseeb QC 0.86 Al-Zubair Al-Zubair QC 1.16 Safwan 1.40 Um Qasr 1.37 Al-Qurna Al-Qurna QC 0.88 Al-Dair 0.59 Al-Thagar (Al-Qaem) 0.73 Al-Faw Al-Faw QC 0.76 Shat al-Arab Shat al-Arab QC 0.66 Al-Nashwa 0.78 Al-Midaina Al-Midaina QC 0.77 Iz-Eldeen Salim 1.18 Talha (Al-Sadiq) 0.78 Average of Governorate, including Basra QC 1.49

5. Electricity service

The electric power infrastructure in Iraq was severely damaged during the Gulf War. In the context of the subsequent international sanctions and the war of 2003, it has suffered from underinvestment and lack of equipment.

The public power grid is the main source of electricity for almost all households in Basra. . The 400kV backbone start from Khor Al Zubayr Gas Station and branches off in two directions: one line goes to North side, connecting with Hartha Thermal Station and Amara Station, one line goes to West side, connecting with Nasiriya Station (located in Thi Qar). . In Al Zubayr District are located Rumaila Old Fields, the most important oil extractive area: it’s an industrial pole that - probably - contributes to a substantial consumption of energy and is connected with lines from 132 kV substation also to Masab Alam (Thi Qar).

The geographical distribution, however, is not sufficient to understand the quality level of the supplied energy. But for a correct evaluation of the available energy the following considerations needs to be taken into account: . the proper and effective delivery of energy depends on the extent of the main distribution (400 kV and 132 kV), not on the local distribution . the constraint formed by the Transformer 132/33 kV; . the effective functioning of the Transformers installed (a thorough examination of the state of the art equipment installed needed).

The main findings are: . the Power Plant operate 24 hours per day; . the Transformer Substations work an average of 8 hours per day; . on report of MoE (Source: Iraqi News – June 2, 2013) appears that Iraq has reached 9,750 MW of generation capacity and the governorate of Basra is provided with electricity for 16-18 hours daily; . Iran supplies (2013)Basra Governorate of 200 MW from Abadan to compensate for the province's energy shortage.

The main problems of the sector in the governorate include insufficient electricity generation, overused power distribution network, and instability of the electric power supply. Measures need to be taken to increase the energy efficiency of power production and consumption in the governorate. The main effort must be addressed to extension of the energy supply to 24 hours per day and connection to the national grid all utilities, ensuring the availability of energy to population, both urban and rural, industries and commercial activities.

34 Basra Structural Plan, 2013.

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6. Communications

The Telecommunications and Postal Directorate of Basra is part of the Public Telecommunications and Post Company of the Ministry of Communications (which separated from the Ministry of Transport after 2003). Its mission is to provide telecommunication services (landline and wireless), postal services and Internet services through the partners of the Public Telecommunications and Post Company. Telecommunication services include a network of optical cables between the exchanges of the centre districts and districts and between the provinces and neighbouring countries and linked to the international marine cables in addition to the networks support and alternative micro-optical network as well as the data transmission system BN switches.

The ICT sector is a rapidly growing economic sector that also serves other economic activities and public services. The telecommunication infrastructure of the country and the region has been severely damaged by military and terrorist activities in recent years.

The land network was severely damaged as a result of the civil works that accompanied the establishment of projects without reference to the Directorate and the adoption of approvals to identify communications routes and avoid damage to infrastructure, in addition to the abuse by citizens. On the other hand, there were no adequate budgets to meet the need for maintenance work from the institutions. As a result of the above, due to the entry of mobile phone and the dependence of mobile phone companies to the Information and Communication Authority (contrary to what is understood to be a violation of the Ministry of Communications), the landline service has become very limited. Despite the current number of subscribers (76143) does not constitute 0.5% of the participants and is concentrated mostly in the state departments.

Ensuring a high-quality optical link is critical to the development and accessibility of the Internet, e- government, CCTV infrastructures, the banks networks, the traffic network and other services. One of the objectives of the Ministry of Communications is to complete this optical network and develop it inside Iraq, in addition to developing the international cable network to improve the Internet service and the establishment of e-government with its multiple applications.

In addition to the above, the ministry's administration provides postal services to individuals and institutions, which include savings, international and local mail, postal parcels and postal boxes through a group of post offices located in the governorate.

International access gates have been adopted by the Ministry of Communications to restrict the entry and exit of international calls for mobile subscribers (Zain, Asiacell and Cork). These gates are not yet allowed for mobile operators to independently rely on their international access portals in international calls (voice). Because of that, the three mobile phone companies were connected with the gates of international influence of the Ministry of Communications in Basra with optical links and reinforced by microphones.

There are two microwave projects in the province and there are two spare paths for fibre optic cables connecting the province with the other provinces of Iraq. The two projects were launched in 2008 with funding from the World Bank and the Japanese Grant: . Japanese Grant Project (NEC): Basra - Nasiriya - Baghdad, with a capacity of 5 STM-1. . World Bank grant (Alcatel): Basra - building - Baghdad, with a capacity of 7 STM-1.

The first steps for implementing the new technology (optical access projects - use FTTH or Fibre To The Home) have been started: . FTTH project financed by the MoCT for Qibla and Internal Security and Bab Al-Zubair Colleges Complex with a capacity of 13500 participants; . FTTH project financed by the MoCT in the reality of the complex of communications and mail with a capacity of 6000 to 6000 subscribers is currently completed by 80%; . FTTH project (development projects in the regions) with capacity of 12 000 participants to spend Qurna - achievement rate 75%, is currently suspended; . FTTH project (development projects in the regions) with capacity of 15 000 participants to spend Zubair - achievement rate 69%, is currently suspended.

The Council of Ministers decided in 2016 to separate the postal activity and establish the General Company for Post and Savings based on the vision of MoCT to develop postal work and upgrade to the services provided by developed countries after the clear development in the field of communications and information technology, which in turn changed the postal work.

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Postal services are currently actively contributing to the private sector through a number of postal transport companies to all parts of the world. Iraqi Post is currently providing services - postal, registered mail, courier, postage stamping, postage tracking, prepaid cards for landlines IN, parcels, mailboxes, and postal savings. The number of post offices reached 22 in 2016

7. Housing

The Basra Master Plan prepared in 1985 cannot cope with new changes in the socio-economic arena or with accommodating the urban poor and small scale enterprises. It places too much emphasis on detailed layouts and zoning of potential land uses, was not guided by comprehensive policies and failed to offer guidance on the phasing or techniques of implementation. It ignored costs, financing, the prioritization of proposals, and also disregarded Basra’s real economic potential.

The inadequate implementation of the master plan, along with political interference, created many problems. Residential and commercial properties were acquired to transform the city centre into a mixed-use area and to implement the designated civic centre. This not only aggravated already existing housing shortages, but also meant that the realisation of projects was sacrificed due to a lack of financial resources.

As a result, many of the project areas now remain neglected. A number of residential unserviced plots that were distributed in the last decade still remain undeveloped. Parks and public gardens were encroached upon by presidential palaces, heliports, and public buildings. The percentage of green areas to urban areas has decreased from 3.2% in 1996 to 2% at present. The industrial area, allocated near Shatt-Al-Basra, is still undeveloped since it occupies low lands and lacks general services. Informal activities are occupying commercial buildings, and are appearing on streets, vacant plots, and green areas.35

8. Education

Data for the 2015/2016 academic year were adopted as the base year for the development of the Strategic Plan for the years 2018-2022.

Concerning education and literacy, the governorate of Basra scores a bit better than the national average. The exception is the enrolment rate in secondary schools, which is lower than the national average and also saw a decrease from 45% in 2006 to 48,6% in 2011.36

The Directorate General suffers from a severe shortage in the number of school buildings throughout the governorate due to the lack of land allocated for construction in the governorate and in places that suffer from overcrowding such as the centre of the province and its areas.

The Governorate’s Education sector strategy strives to fill the education gaps between rural and urban areas and poor neighbourhoods areas, aiming also at the achievement of gender equity in education. It also addresses harmonization and coordination between graduates and the job market through specific vocational and high- specialized curricula and tailor-made internship programs. Among the strategy’s objectives are reducing the number of students in certain overcrowded schools, solving the issue of land availability for new school buildings, improving the interaction between the school system and the expanding industrial/agricultural/tourism sectors that seek for new workers with high skills and competences tailored on the territorial needs.

The efforts invested in the training of teachers for education of women are greater than those for men and have nearly doubled. There is currently severe shortage of teachers in boy schools, because female teachers are unwilling to work in them in the present social situation.

The schools in Basra suffer from inadequate staffing for some of the disciplines.

35 Iraq Urban Sector Strengthening Project, Summaries of Selected Consulting Reports, January 2006, UN-HABITAT 36 NCCI (2015), Basra Governorate Profile.

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Table 20 Education building needs gap analysis (all levels), 2015/16 Type of education Education buildings needed (n) Actual buildings (n) Gap (need) Kindergarten 66 61 5 Primary 1128 689 439 Secondary 533 259 274 Vocational 18 14 4 Institutes 7 4 3 Total 1 752 1 027 725

The education ladder in Iraq is as follows: Kindergarten also known as pre-school; Primary School (6 years); secondary school, including intermediate school (3 years) and preparatory school (3 years); and university. If university path is not taken, vocational schools or teacher institute are an option. Education is mandatory through the sixth grade. After this, a national examination determines the possibility of continuing to upper grades. While a vocational track is available to those who do not pass the exam, few students elect this option because of its poor quality.

8.1. Pre-school education (kindergartens)

According to data for 2014/15 school year, 20 033 children attend 96 functioning kindergartens in Basra Governorate, 32 of which private (2 840 children). The public to private kindergartens ratio is close to the national average.

The shares of boys and girls enrolled in the kindergartens are more or less equal, which means there is no serious lagging behind of girls in the field of education. However the proportion of children attending kindergartens is not more than 5% of all the children in the respective age. The average number of children per kindergarten is 280.

The number of kindergarten teachers is 696 (186 in the private kindergartens). The average number of teachers in a kindergarten is 7.25 which roughly correspond to the country’s average. The average number of children per teacher (33.7) is comparable to the country average (26).

The wide gap between the number of children in kindergarten and the number of children enrolled in first grade suggests the need for initial adaptation of children to the school setting. I.e. children need to develop certain habits of participation in the education process and to acquire basic skills before they enrol in first grade.

8.2. Primary education

According to data for 2014/15 school year, Basra Governorate has 1 240 primary schools: 29.5% for boys, 18.4% for girls, and 52.1% mixed.

Primary school students are 548 769 (43.2% girls) and primary school teachers are 22 278 (74.1% women). At this level of education, the number of boys in all classes is higher than the number of girls; the trend intensifies in the higher grades. There is also a trend for decreasing number of boys in the higher grades; this is likely due to the demographic trend or to higher numbers of school drop-outs (in spite of the lack of official data).

Figure 14 Students enrolled in primary schools (public, private, religious) in Basra province, 2014/15 (COSIT) 60000 54390 51137 51134 52886 47621 49143 48610 50000 44705 42074 42231 35339 40000 29499 30000 20000 10000 0 Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

First grade Second grade Third grade Fourth grade Fifth grade Sixth grade

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Figure 15 Students who dropped out of primary school in Basra province, 2011/12–2014/15 (COSIT) 6000

4000

4776 5233 4668 2000 4263 4206 3860 4318 3663

0 Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

2012/2011 2013/2012 2014/2013 2015/2014 There is need to set standards for primary schools, such as a standard number of pupils per teacher, a standard number of pupils in a class, etc., and to determine accordingly the necessary number of primary schools in each administrative unit. This will allow the development of the structure of initial educational in the Governorate in accordance with identified needs.

8.3. Secondary education

According to data for 2014/15, Basra Governorate has 1650 secondary schools: 339 for boys, 261 for girls, and 50 mixed. There are 238 808 secondary school students and 14 960 teachers. According to data for 2014/15, Basra Governorate has 7 teacher training institutes and the number of enrolled students was 1 161 (41.1% women). Total number of teachers in those institutions was 205 (45.4% women).

As with primary schools, there is need to set standards (e.g. standard number of students per teacher/class) so that education provision better respond to needs and pressures (also related to high birth rates) and ensure more even quality of provision.

8.4. Vocational education

The number of vocational schools in the period 2010/11–2014/15 has remained fixed at 18: 12 schools with industrial orientation and 6 with commercial specialties. The number of students is relatively stable and varies within minimum limits. The share of drop-out students varies from 5% to 8% through the years. This may be attributed to both the increased number of students and the lower number of drop-outs. There is clear trend among drop-outs in terms of gender during the examined period - the number of boys dropped out of school is between 3 and 4 times more than drop-off girls.

Table 21 Vocational education in Basra province, 2011/12–2014/15 (COSIT) School year Schools Enrolled Teaching Students per Drop-out students (n) Drop-outs as % of (n) students (n) staff (n) teacher (n) Male Female Total enrolled students 2011/2012 18 5869 1095 5.36 395 88 483 8.23 2012/2013 18 6026 1091 5.52 379 104 483 8.02 2013/2014 18 5597 1020 5.49 244 37 281 5.02 2014/2015 18 5636 988 5.70 364 59 423 7.51

8.5. Higher education

The Governorate of Basra has one University, University of Basra (founded in 1964) with two branches: Al Qurna and Bab Al Zubair. Three private HEIs operate: Shatt Al Arab College and Al Iraq College, the last one is new, and it is Imam Al Sadiq College. According to data for the academic year 2014/15, the students is 48 944 (46% women, 100% Iraqi). 65.9% of them are students at state university (52% women). In the opinion of analysts, the teaching staff requires training courses and a proper salary in order to be motivated, and the curricula of the education cycles suffer from deficiencies and need a complete update and revision.

Table 22 Students enrolled in initial university studies, 2014/15 (COSIT) Students (n) Male (n) Female (n) Total (n) State Universities 15 444 16 826 32 270 Technical Universities 5 859 3 986 9 845 Private Colleges 5 108 1 721 6 829 Total 26 411 22 533 48 944

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9. Healthcare

According to date for 2014, there are a total of 19 hospitals (5 private) in Basra Governorate. According to standards, 1 hospital and 1 medical centre should be available per 40 000 residents. Thus, the number of hospitals in the province should be 70 and there are just 19. Further, of the existing 14 public hospitals, 12 are general hospitals and 1 is for children and 1 is for childbirth and neonatology, which contradicts the demographic structure of the population. 7 hospitals are located in the governorate centre; 4 of them are teaching hospitals.

The Ministry of Health adopts a standard of 1.5 beds per 1000 inhabitants. The total number of patient beds in hospitals is 3 553, with 58.1% usability – compared to 64.6% country average (2014). The average hospitalization of a patient is 2.45 days, which is below the country’s average in of 2.55 days (2013). The data show that hospitals in the province have enough hospital beds to meet the developed standard.

The number of doctors is 2 088 (2014), which is more by nearly 17% from 2009. Statistics report two types of doctors in hospitals: specialist and non-specialist – respectively 25.5% (2014) of hospital staff. The proportion of the medical staff per 10 000 population is 7.3 doctors, 13.0 nurses and other medical staff. Considering the fast- growing number of the population, the doctor-to-10 000-patients ratio is getting unfavourable.

There are 116 health centres divided on the basis of major, model and sub- primary health care centres. These centres are run according to the geographical area, which are often geographical area related to a district, under an administrative formation, at a section level called a sector administratively linked to director general and technically to the department of public health. There are 8 functioning health sectors and 2 sectors under construction.

There are 21 specialized health centres, some of them are administratively associated to the director general, and others are associated to the hospitals based in. All specialized health centres are technically associated to the department of technical affairs.

Al-Basra directorate of health provides health services to the community and the individuals on three levels: . Primary health care: It is a preventive health care, provided in the health centres. Health preventive services include: preventive awareness against diseases, vaccination against communicable diseases , early diagnosis, treatment of communicable and non- communicable diseases ,as for health care services they include( diagnosis tests , medicines, dressing , medication and dental care. The institutions at this level act as a filter which determines the cases to be referred to the second level; . Secondary healthcare: Health care provided in hospitals, including more complicated medical examinations than those provided in the health centres and also admission, interventions, surgeries. Institutions at this level act as a filter which determines the cases to be referred to the next level. . Third-level (advanced) health care: It is advanced health care provided in the specialized centres, including diagnosis examinations, advanced and complicated treatments.

Current health sectors are (8): Governorate first sector centre; Governorate second sector centre; Shatt Al-Arab sector; Abu Al-Khaseeb sector; Al-Zubair sector; Al-Hartha sector; Al-Qurna sector; AL-Midaina sector. Two sectors are under construction: (1) Governorate third sector centre: A number of health centres in the first and second sectors centre will be under the management of this sector; and (2) Al-Dair sector: Health centres currently managed by Al- Midaina sector will be run by this sector.

In addition to the above cited hospitals and health centres there are 11 health houses at the outskirts of the governorate and seven mobile medical clinics.

The indicators for hospital and health care are relatively unfavourable. The indicators for the health of the population show also unfavourable data than the average for the country. Child mortality levels are considerably higher than the country average, varying between 23.1‰ and 27.4‰ in the period 2012–2014. The share of the population with chronic disease is 12.2% (2012) – higher the country average. The proportion of disabled people is 3.7% (2012) – equal to the country’s average.

The use of untreated water and poor hygienic sanitary practices have increased the incidence of waterborne diseases to a critical level and contributed to the mortality of infants and children living in the rural areas.

It is necessary to provide modern equipment for medical centres and, to a lesser extent, for hospitals. The use of specialized software will increase the efficiency of the healthcare system. Measures to attract and retain highly qualified medical staff are also needed.

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V. GOVERNANCE

1. Local governance bodies

The Law of Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region (Law No. 21 of 2008, as amended by Law 15 of 2010) calls for decentralisation of the government and the transfer of suitable ministerial functions to the provincial governments. The Second Amendment to Law 21 (2013) affects greater provincial self-determination. In all 14 governorates not incorporated into a region (and not otherwise subject to a constitutional dispute), Law 21 applies to governorate, qadha, and nahia councils. The Law and its amendments govern the rights and powers of local government bodies.

 According to Article 1 of Law 21 (as amended by Law 15 of 2010), a governorate is “an administrative unit in its geographic boundaries consisting of qada’as (districts), nahiyas (sub-districts), and villages.”37  Per Article 2 of the Law, “The governorate council is the highest legislative and oversight authority within the administrative boundaries of the governorate and shall have the right to issue local legislation within the boundaries of the governorate [local laws, instructions, bylaws, and regulations to organise the administrative and financial affairs] so that it can carry out its affairs on the basis of the principle of administrative decentralisation and in a manner that would not contradict the Constitution and federal laws.” The Governorate Council is not under the control or supervision of any Ministry and it has independent finance.38  The governor is the highest executive head in the Governorate: “The governor shall be considered the highest-ranking executive officer in the governorate at the rank of a deputy minister as regards rights and service” (Article 24). The Governor is elected by the Governorate Council and exercises the powers vested in him by the Governorate Council.  On principle, the local councils of qadhas and nahias play the foremost role in determining the development needs and priorities for local development (see Chapter V.2 below).

2. Governorate budget

Based on Article 44 of Law No. 21, the financial resources of the governorate are comprised of the following: 1. The budget transfers to the governorate from the federal government in accordance with the constitutional criteria - as sufficient to carry out its missions and responsibilities in accordance with its population and the degree of deprivation, so that balanced development of the different regions of the country is ensured. 2. Revenues accrued in the governorate – except those from oil and gas – including:  Revenues generated from the governorate services and investment projects;  Proceeds from taxes, fees and fines imposed in accordance with federal and local regulations in force within the governorates – incl. (1) taxes imposed by the Council on companies operating in the governorate in compensation for environmental pollution and damage caused to the infrastructure, and (2) half of the revenues accrued from border crossings;  Proceeds from the sale and lease of public movable and immovable assets – including rent land used by companies;  Donations and gifts that may be received by the governorate in a manner that does not contradict the Constitution and federal regulations; 3. A share of the revenues of local authorities. Local authorities must allocate a fair share of the revenues to their administrative units so that it is sufficient for the latter to carry out their missions and responsibilities in accordance with the governorate population.

The procedure of preparing the annual budget is as follows: . The Governor submits a draft budget for development of the governorate, its qadhas and nahias to the Governorate Council for approval; the Council needs to endorse the draft budget; . The Council approves the draft depending on the plans set and submitted by the Councils of qadhas and nahias to the Ministry of Planning. On principle, the most affected areas within the governorate must be

37 Official English translation: http://iraq-lg-law.org/ar/webfm_send/765. 38 Supreme Court Advisory Opinion No. 16 recognies the authority of governorate councils to raise local revenues.

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given priority and governorate allocations must be distributed to qadhas and nahias proportionally to their population after the exclusion of strategic projects that benefit more than one qadha or nahia, given that project cost does not exceed 20% of the governorate allocations; . The Governor has exclusive power to implement the approved budget and the Governorate Council is responsible for implementation monitoring; . Following audit by the Federal Audit Bureau, and if necessary, budget adjustments are carried out in the budget of the following year.

It is positive to note that Basra actual level of budget (2012) (ca. IQD 539 million per capita) is more than two times the national average, and it is well above the budget per capita of all other Southern Governorates. This shows that the presence of productive oil fields give a great financial opportunity for the development of the Governorate policies. For the 2012 the Central Government of Iraq allocated to Basra IQD 315 915 per capita from oil revenues. This is a figure considerably higher than the national average (+815%). Among the neighbour Governorates, Basra disposes of the highest funds from oil revenues.

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VI. SWOT ANALYSIS

The elaborated overall SWOT analysis has been divided into three main parts – Economic Development, Social Services and Basic Services. Economic Development Strengths Weaknesses  Advantageous geographic location/ excellent position in terms the national transport  Weak investment environment incl. in industry, agriculture and tourism – linked to weak regulatory corridors and stable security situation environment, overlapping or inconsistent regulations, statutory limitations periods, difficulties of allocating  One of the focal areas for the national oil production, processing and export system - land for investment purposes, weakness of the banking system, weak investment culture, lack of training for Basra accounts for 17 oilfield (79 total) and one gas field (9 total), incl. one of the Iraqi staff of the Investment Agency, low performance efficiency of staff. super giant oil fields – Zubair  Transportation and electricity constraints for the SMEs  Availability of International Airport receives regular domestic and international flights  Weak competitiveness of local agriculture products due to high production costs, low productivity, and low  Operating free economic zone quality  The four ports of Basra are the main channel for cargoes carried by sea  Lack of bodies and mechanisms to promote tourism in Basra – e.g. tourist maps, marketplaces for handicrafts,  Investment Law No. 13 (2006) and its amendments facilitates investment and secures organised events for tourists, visitors attraction guarantees.  Poor protection of and damage to marshlands archaeological sites  Conditions present for agriculture development – e.g. arable land areas, adequate water  Weak financial capacity of relevant departments to implement programmes that support the tourism sector resources, human resources capable of working in the agriculture sector  Human resource deficit in tourism and the archaeological sector  Conditions present for tourism development – ancient sites; local tourist companies;  Lack of human resource trained in the field of tourism and hospitality marshlands as preserved area; etc..  University presence. Opportunities Threats  Improving connections and strengthening relationships with neighbouring governorates  Lack of coordination between the relevant sectoral ministries and sometimes conflicting instructions given to could be an opportunity to enlarge the market and reach of Basra products and imports investors in the investment process  The private sector could play a critical role in the reconstruction and development  International competition (esp. neighbouring countries) in attracting investments and inability of the Iraqi  Possibility for support from trade attachés in Iraqi embassies to promote the promising investment market to compete investment opportunities in Iraq, incl. Basra  Weakness and failure of the banking sector to finance projects  International organisations working in Iraq in the agriculture sector  Financial crisis repercussion in Iraq  Government initiatives to support the agricultural sector (launched every 5-year period)  Improvement of legislation in the field of investment process, agriculture and tourism  Good demand for agricultural products in the local market Social Services Strengths Weaknesses  Sustainable population growth trend  Unfavourable education structure of the population - high share of illiterates. Higher than average share of  High share of children and young people people who can read and write but have no completed educational level.  Regulations are being introduced in support of education and the enhancement of  Lack of standards for schools – e.g. number of students per teacher, number of students per class, etc. private education in particular  Increasing number of students per teacher  Adequacy in educational staff (teachers, administrative and technical staff) in the  Insufficient number of school buildings – many of which in poor condition province  Low quality of school education

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 Integrated information base regarding school buildings and planning  Limited use of technology in education  Newly built school buildings  Insufficient financial resources of the Education Directorate – resulting in many services missing (e.g. guards)  Availability of private schools  Lack of services (esp. water, electricity and roads for some schools) and lack of access to some rural schools  Integration of the Education Directorate in the Governorate  Very low motivation for enrolment in vocational schools  Possibility to issue local legislation to support the education sector and encourage  A severe shortage of teachers in boy schools private education  Weak ICT infrastructure and knowledge technology  Basra University has 2 branches  Lack of legislation and regulations (e.g. national policy for youth), or lack of relevance of existing ones (need  Thera are 3 private college of modernisation of some legislation)  The existence of powers for educational institutions can be invested in the  Weak institutional performance in supporting vulnerable groups – as reflected in low degree of effectiveness development of the educational environment in the province of programmes and initiatives aimed at helping vulnerable groups to respond to socio-economic challenges  Availability of experienced medical, health, and administrative staff  Poor/lack of coordination between actors in a sector (e.g. health, education) and between the public and the  Availability of hospital beds in accordance with the standards private sectors  Expansion of health services through establishing specialised centres and modern  Relative shortage of some sports and recreational facilities for young people hospitals  High illiteracy and low education enrolment rates for women, especially in rural areas  Availability of health service system and directions  Lack of awareness of women’s rights  Utilisation of modern computer systems; training of staff to apply these in e-  Lack of medical staff in certain specialisations; difficulty in attracting staff governance programme  Poor wages and incentives system Opportunities Threats  Increasing number of working-age population, which presents an opportunity for  Imbalanced territorial distribution of the population (linked to water, marshlands, etc.) economic development  Poor social conditions and low level of economic development factor in emigration and in the  International organisations working in Basra to support the education process marginalisation of certain groups  Possibility to invest in private education (pre-school, primary, secondary, higher  Lack of land for school buildings in urban centres education) by easing restrictions and facilitating procedures  Most school buildings do not belong to the Ministry of Education  Increasing awareness among society of the importance of education and of enrolling  Weak cooperation and coordination between the Education Directorate and service departments (electricity, children in educational institutions water, etc.)  Possibility to establish a partnership between the university and the private sector  Poor matching of education system outputs (supply) and the needs of sustainable development and the (consultant office, construction lab) – to help meet the needs of the labour market labour market (demand)  A number of civil actors offer specialised trainings/courses, in collaboration with the  Lack of an overall vision to promote social integration – and instead, dependency on (mostly) partial social public sector and international organisations. policies and procedures  Participation of university faculty in regional/international courses, seminars,  Lack of a comprehensive national policy for youth – resulting in insufficient positive impact of services conferences provided to young people  University placement strategy adopted to build graduates' capacities  Discrimination against women is a deeply influential cultural factor  Possibility to increase the use of grants and international projects in the fields of higher  Weak role of women in economic activity – linked to the prevailing social culture in families, which affects education and scientific research negatively the professional status of women  The health service sector attracts foreign employees.  Weak municipal/basic services sectors reflect in poorer public health (sewerage, running water, sanitation,  Government willingness to attract foreign investors and promote local investors healthy food, healthy environment, etc.).  Bilateral agreements and protocols signed with (governmental and non-governmental)  Certain outdated legislation needs to be modernised international organisations  Poor coordination between the public and private health sectors.  Government helps to disseminate awareness regarding rights/inclusion and health.  CSO support for the health service sector  Local governments support the development of the health service sector.

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Basic Services Strengths Weaknesses  Experienced engineering and technical staff in the road/bridge, water  Low operational investment and financial allocations for all types of basic services and sewage sectors  Outdated road network in need of rehabilitation and upgrading  Modern existing electricity operating stations  Insufficient roads length and bridges number to meet increased traffic  Staff in the electricity sector are able to train new staff. Support is  Frequent traffic offences needed to facilitate training.  Existing railway lines need to be rehabilitating to boost performance, increase operating speeds and improve their  Ample surface and groundwater resource – e.g. the Euphrates, the specifications; desert of Samawah  Need of restoration of river channel conductivity;  A training centre exists which administers courses according to annual  Need of rehabilitation and expansion of seaports plan – incl. in management, computer programmes use, etc.  Dependency on the Roads Directorate for key functions, incl. training of engineering /technical staff in project management  Availability of engineering and technical staff with experience in and use of IT; equipment maintenance; repair of roads; GIS availability; etc.; network maintenance  Insufficient electricity generation in the governorate  Availability of preliminary studies and projects for seaports and railway  Greatly overused electricity network (stations, transmission wires, networks. etc.) rehabilitation and extension  Old networks have direct effects on the stability of the electric power supply and cause frequent failures as well as drain  Availability of engineering, technical, legal, financial and administrative manpower and financial resources staff in most municipal institutions with experience in the field of  Lack of specialised staff in the electricity sector managing most of the municipal works. These enhance their  Lack of mapping for older water networks capabilities through training and development.  Need to replace the old water networks and distribution lines  Availability of large and open land – this can be acquired and invested  No water meters installed for houses, no water tank system used to pay for water in (to bring financial resources) in accordance with updated plans.  Lack of cadres in some departments in the water sector (maintenance and collection)  Level of adoption of modern technology in municipal service provision  Lack of mechanisms to track failure and leakage in the water network – e.g. GPS system for tracking of assets and equipment, GIS use for  Lack of ground water tanks, pumping stations and network coverage in urban centres and new residential complexes identification of routes and boundaries of streets, etc.  Lack of adoption of modern technology in wastewater management  Misuse of the runoff collection system, esp. in areas not served by the sewage network. Legislation to stop is not activated.  Weak technical expertise in the field of waste collection and processing  The shortage of land eligible for residential construction in urban areas of some cities  Complexities of procedures for allocating land outside the boundaries of the basic design for residential purposes  Complexity of factors for the conservation and management of marshes, incl. the need for coordination with the neighbouring governorates Opportunities Threats  Availability of some basic conditions for road rehabilitation - raw  Interference of powers between the central and local government, which adversely affects the conduct of business. materials, asphalt and cement plants, large number of construction  Weak coordination between ministries and local governments and the intersection of directives and controls issued by both, companies and manpower which negatively affects the performance of the Governorate Departments.  Support from the local government to finding solutions to road  Lack of awareness and frequent objections against the implementation of projects problems and obstacles  Frequent failure of the local production of asphalt and failure to meet the required specifications  Possibility of sending technical and administrative staff of the Road  Lack of financial allocations earmarked for project implementation Directorate abroad to develop their capabilities  Frequent power failures and lack of fuel processing by refineries, which affects the work of asphalt and cement plants.  Large competition from the part of contracting companies for the  Roads are exposed to acts of tampering and vandalism, especially through the digging of these roads and the implementation implementation of transport projects of underground arches randomly.

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 Possibility of rehabilitating and developing the road connecting Iraq  Lack of allocations that include operation and investment plan budgets in the electricity sector with neighbouring countries so that it is used as a border crossing  The unavailability of intelligent programs for monitoring electricity network performance and improving network management terminal. at times of extreme loads as operation is controlled manually due to the unavailability of specialised control centres.  There is a vision for the development of the services related to  Lack of financial allocations and uncertainty about allocating funds which have negative impacts on the possibility of increasing electricity sector and a call for alternative plans. human and technical resources.  Use of alternative energy to address the acute shortage of energy and  The rapid increase in loads as a result of population growth, the spread of unstructured complexes and infringements of to supply power to some subscribers of professions that don't require electricity network, the increase in electrical appliances with high consumption, and the lack of control over imported devices. a lot of energy as well as supplying power to appliances that could  Difficulty of allocating lands for electricity infrastructure. work on alternative energy and the use of fuel instead of electrical  Lack of modern systems used in the world, such as SCADA system to monitor pressure in the pipes and identify areas of energy. overrun and fractures  Involvement of the private sector and taking advantage of the  Lack of a network of water for watering gardens to avoid the use of drinking water in watering possibility of the installation of networks, doing maintenance and  Strong dependence of water sources on the climate - frequent low water levels) or floods of rivers collecting electricity returns.  Financial crisis and stop the projects in the construction phase or lack of funding for filtration and sterilisation (alum and  Presence of international organisations supporting the water sector in chlorine). the establishment of desalination plants and the processing of some  High maintenance costs of backup materials/membranes, cotton filters, pumps, etc. spare materials and the organisation of courses to develop the  Weak government support for staff in terms of training, salaries and incentives, etc. capabilities of staff and the implementation of some subnets  Multiplicity of regulatory bodies and political interventions  Existence of rehabilitation and training centres in the Directorate  Water pollution and lack of awareness among citizens in the need to rationalise water consumption General of sewage  Tribal objections to water pipelines and networks delay the implementation of projects and make companies reluctant to  Presence of engineering consulting office and engineering specialties implement water projects are available at the University of Basra  Non-activation of the legislation of the excesses on sewage and rain networks  Existence of social satisfaction in the case of provision of sewage  Lack of processing of electric power to water lift stations and treatment plants service and withdrawal of rain water  Low oil prices and its impact on the budget of municipal institutions  Existence of modern techniques for wastewater treatment and  Poor coordination between the service departments and municipal departments recycling which could be used  Poor cooperation of the citizen with the municipality

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VII. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Based on the analysis made and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified, four strategic objectives for the development of Basra Governorate in the period 2018–2022 have been elaborated, as follows.

Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions

The strategic objective responds to the identified needs and opportunities for improving public service delivery. The objective is of central importance, since infrastructure and public services exert significant impact on economic development, the provision of social services, and the quality of life in the Governorate. Achieved effects in this regard will lead to tangible changes in the quality of life in rural areas and the development of the Governorate's economic potential. In this sense, the achievement of Strategic objective 1 will have a significant impact on the achievement of the remaining strategic objectives of the PDS.

Strategic objective 2: Enabling environment for economic development

Economic development is a major driver of people's well-being. The availability of investments depends on the quality of infrastructure, legislation and workforce, as well as on adequate promotion of the governorate.

Strategic objective 3: Developed social services to support socially disadvantaged groups

Together with education and healthcare, social services help secure good quality of life for citizens, as well as qualified staff for the development of the economy. Social services access and quality also relate to the quality of infrastructure.

Strategic objective 4: Good governance

The process of transferring functions from national to local level requires to operationalise the principles of good governance. At the local level, procedures, mechanisms and capacity should be established to assess the quantitative and qualitative needs of development policy and service provision. The implementation of EU good practices will increase the efficiency of the process.

Good governance entails effective organisational structures, the provision of adequate number of experts in the different sectors and their training, the preparation of effective legislation, the provision of required technical equipment and facilities, and the procurement of the necessary financial resources. Good governance also provides an opportunity to introduce and implement new and modern approaches to managing priority areas.

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VIII. PROGRAMMES (PRIORITY AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT)

The following programmes are outlined on the basis of the SWOT analysis and the identified strategic objectives (above), with attention to interventions in areas where the Governorate’s authority has the power to implement specific projects and activities.

1. Programme 1: Improve the transport network

Rationale

The transport sector is concerned with the provision, maintenance and safety of public roads, bridges, intersections and tunnels, and the regulation of their use.

Improvement and rehabilitation of the existing road network and associated rural road networks will increase safety, reduce transport costs and stimulate economic activity across sectors, and increase access to facilities. Development of transport connections with neighbouring Governorates are hampered by lack in multimodal infrastructures for freights, especially on waterways and railways (no railway network to Missan Governorate) and poor quality of public transportation services.

The RL1 Baghdad – Basra - Shuaibah - Umm Qasr permits to Basra Governorate to be reached on rail tracks from the neighbouring Thi Qar, but especially it links the rest of Iraq to the major commercial harbour of the country, the port of Umm Qasr. There are two main ongoing projects regarding the rehabilitation of the railway inside Basra Governorate: the first affects directly the existing RL1 till Basra city, while the second concerns the construction of a new rail line among Basra and Shalamja, close to the Iranian border, with the possibility in a medium - long term to be inserted into a wider international railway system.

There is the inland waterway of 1,015 km in length in Iraq and the Shatt al Arab River has a section of about 130 km possible for regular navigation. In the field of river transportation, activity has almost come to a halt due to the security situation, water scarcity, lack of pumps in the rivers and need for dredging, in addition to river current obstructions such as the remains of bridges damaged in previous wars or because temporary, floating or service bridges were built. The revitalization of this activity will involve eliminating the above causes.

The aviation and river mobilities are the main existing transport sectors that make of Basra Governorate the most important gateway of Iraq towards the neighbouring countries and the overall middle-east Asia, especially as concerns the flow of freight traffic. In particular, regarding the air sector, the governorate is served by the international airport of Basra, while the close military airports of Najaf and Nasiriya could be improved and used for civil aviation

The most prevalent issue for Basra SMEs regarding transportation is the high cost, followed by poor availability. Important issue is the efficiency to the connection to the port within the Arab Gulf. Security, as relates to transportation, is third. Although the most of the industrial areas are potentially well linked to the main road , the bad condition in terms of level of service (mainly for the lack of maintenance) is one of the constraint that Governorate faces in the enabling the development of the sector and the related logistic activities.

The key industrial area of Basra is potentially well linked to the railway infrastructure, but the bad condition of Iraqi railway network is a weak point for starting an integrated multimodal (sea-rail-road) logistic strategy.

Critical strategic issues: . Outdated existing road network in need of rehabilitation; . Frequent traffic accidents; . Dependency on the Roads Directorate for key functions, incl. e.g. training of engineering and technical staff in project management and use of IT; equipment maintenance; repair of roads; GIS availability; etc.; . Ineffective regulation of maximum speed and permissible weight of vehicles; . Existing railway lines need to be rehabilitating to boost performance, increase operating speeds and improve their specifications; . Restoration of river channel conductivity; . Rehabilitation and expansion of seaports.

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Vision

Improved and expansion transport network for reducing travel time and costs, increasing absorption capacity and linking Basra Governorate, especially seaports with neighbouring governorates and international transport networks.

Specific objectives . Specific objective 1: Developed and rehabilitated road network (primary, secondary, rural) and railway network . Specific objective 2: Developed and rehabilitated seaports . Specific objective 2: Improved performance efficiency

Attainment of Specific objective 1 will result in developed transport infrastructure, with improved quality of roads and railway in the governorate. This will help increase rural accessibility and improve the links between existing urban centres. Conditions for reducing road accidents will be secured. It will be possible to make economic activities faster and cheaper. The link with neighbouring provinces and the rest of the country will be improved.

Specific objective 2 will result in developed seaport infrastructure with raising the current port capacity and navigational routes, exploiting available unused ports and creation a rival major ports to current neighbours and navigational routes.

Specific objective 3 centres on improving the capacity of staff in the transport sector in project management and work with specific information technologies. This will provide better archiving and management of transport network data. The necessary equipment for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the network and its support will be provided. Information campaigns on road safety will be organised to address road traffic accidents.

Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions Programme 1: Improve the transport network Specific objective1: Developed and rehabilitated transport network (primary, secondary, rural) and railway network Activity Type of project Name of the project Short description 1 Research and Preparation of transport  Explore and identify priority areas for new infrastructure Study infrastructure development development and rehabilitation of existing roads in order to programme improve transport accessibility in the governorate. 2 Technical/ Completion of two main  Rehabilitation of RL1 till Basra city, Investment ongoing projects regarding  Construction of a new rail line among Basra and Shalamja. the rehabilitation of the railway inside Basra Governorate 3 Technical/ Developing the existing  Plan, secure funding for and build new roads and bridges in Investment transport network areas that will improve transport accessibility to rural areas and between major urban centres.  (There are projects for specific roads and bridges in the sectoral plan. It is appropriate to include them after a precise translation) 4 Technical/ Rehabilitation and  Organise and implement the rehabilitation and Investment maintenance of existing maintenance of the existing road network. roads 5 Technical/ Increasing the capacity of  Organise and implement the extension of existing roads by Investment existing roads adding second corridors for roads whose maximum capacity has been reached. Specific objective 3: Improved performance efficiency Activity Type of project Name of the project Short description 1 Technical/ Raising the current port  Planning the necessary financial resources Investment capacity and navigational  Consulting the increasing of the efficiency and improve the routes performance of Iraq's ports company

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 Deepening shipping channels and furnishing dug leading ports and set up television and control systems electronic movement of steamers and ships  Raise the sunken ships of all corridors in Cor Abdullah and Khar al-Zubaira and Shat al-Arab, Shat Al-Basra 2 Technical/ Exploiting available unused  Updating and improving fleet marine units that offer Investment ports marine services to ports, including seagoing platforms, dredgers, boats and ships  Modern systems and electronic entry in the management and operation of port activity  Establishment of marine services for oil ports (Basra and deep ports) and Khor Zubair 3 Technical/ Creation a rival major ports  Create the large port of Faw Investment to current neighbours and  Establishment and operation of infrastructure and service navigational routes delivery Specific objective 3: Improved performance efficiency Activity Type of project Name of the project Short description 1 Human Building the IT skills of staff  In the course of the 5-year period, organise and conduct Resources training courses to enhance the IT skills of staff. 2 Human Building the project  Organise and conduct training courses to enhancing the Resources management skills of staff project management skills of staff. 3 Human Increasing the efficiency of  Organise and conduct training courses to build the Resources staff in data archiving efficiency of staff in modern data archiving.  Purchase the necessary software. 4 Human Promoting the use of GIS  Purchase the necessary GIS software. Resources  Organising and conducting training courses in GIS for staff. 5 Awareness Promoting road safety  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign among the population on the need to comply with traffic regulations. 6 Technical/ Purchase of equipment for  Plan, organise and purchase necessary equipment for the Investment road maintenance and maintenance and rehabilitation of roads. rehabilitation

2. Programme 2: Improve the electricity service

Rationale

Electricity is an essential service and one of the pillars of civilised development. Activities across the social, industrial, agricultural and commercial spheres of life depend on access to electricity.

The public power grid is the main source of electricity for almost all households in Basra.

The main problems of the sector in the governorate include insufficient electricity generation, overused power distribution network, and instability of the electric power supply. Measures need to be taken to increase the energy efficiency of power production and consumption in the governorate.

The main effort must be addressed to extension of the energy supply to 24 hours per day and connection to the national grid all utilities, ensuring the availability of energy to population, both urban and rural, industries and commercial activities.

Critical strategic issues: . Electricity generation in Basra is insufficient; . the Transformer Substations work an average of 8 hours per day . The electricity network is greatly overused (stations, transmission lines, etc.); . Old networks have direct effects on the stability of the electric power supply, causing frequent failures and waste of manpower and financial resources; . There is deficit of specialised staff in the electricity sector – 1450 staff are required, and only 568 are available.

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Vision

Citizens and businesses are provided with electrical power in a continuous and stable manner for all types of activities (domestic, commercial, government, industrial, agricultural).

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Improved quality of supply network; increased production capacity . Specific objective 2: Improved performance and fee collection . Specific objective 3: Sustainable energy promoted through energy efficiency and RES.

Attainment of Specific objective 1 will help overcome issues with electricity access. Specific objectives 2 and 3 are aimed at improving measurement and the collection of fees for use of the electricity supply network; this should motivate people and the industry to reduce their electricity consumption by purchasing modern electrical equipment with low energy consumption and the use of RES.

Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions Programme 2: Improve the electricity service Specific objective 1: Improved quality of supply network; increased production capacity Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Mapping of electricity  Map the existing electricity supply network; research and assess its and Study supply network condition and needs for rehabilitation to reduce power interruptions. 2 Technical/ Rehabilitation  Develop and implement rehabilitation programme for the electricity Investment programme for the supply network, focusing on industrial areas, areas in urban centres electricity supply and areas with high density of inhabitants – in order to reduce network overload cases and achieve the electricity supply standards. 3 Technical/ Electricity production  Develop and implement an electricity production increase Investment increase programme programme, incl. construction and commissioning of renewable energy systems. Specific objective 2: Improved performance and fee collection Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Improving  Develop models to improve the measurement and collection of fees and Study measurement and the charged for the use of the electricity supply network, corresponding collection of electricity to the specificities of the individual regions in the governorate. supply charges 2 Technical/ Introducing new  Apply the developed charging models (above). Investment charging models 3 Technical/ Installation of smart  Develop and implement a programme for installation of smart Investment meters meters and other appliances that allow measuring the actual electricity consumption. 4 Human Programme to  Plan and implement a programme to motivate staff and attract new Resources motivate staff and employees. attract new employees Specific objective 3: Sustainable energy promoted through energy efficiency and RES Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research and Elaboration of  Measures need to be taken to increase the efficiency of energy Study Sustainable Energy and production and consumption in Basra. The elaboration of a Climate Action Plan Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) will contribute (SECAP) to the effective realisation of this objective. 2 Awareness Awareness raising on  Plan, organise and carry out information campaign among the the need to reduce population on the need to reduce electricity consumption by electricity consumption purchasing modern electrical equipment with low energy consumption and use of RES. 3 Awareness Promoting reduced  Plan, organise and carry out information campaign among electricity consumption businesses and large industries on the need to reduce electricity among businesses and consumption by purchasing modern electrical equipment with low large industries. energy consumption and using modern techniques in managing loads, incl. use of RES.

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3. Programme 3: Improve the water supply service

Rationale

Drinking water is a basic necessity for human life; access to water is regarded as a fundamental human right. Water is also important for the development of all areas of social and economic life.

The groundwater quality is generally very poor and unsuitable for human consumption; in fact all the water used for water supply purposes in Basra Governorate comes from surface water sources: all the main towns are located close to a river or a canal from which raw water is abstracted. The main water surface sources are the Shatt Al Arab River and a whole network of canals and tributaries that are mostly concentrated in the northern part of the Governorate. The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids [mg/L]) values have been increasing in most surface water sources during the last decade, also as a result of the draining of the marshes.

Then in all Basra Governorate, the groundwater also cannot be used as drinking water because salinity is higher than the value of 1 g/L (maximum allowable value for potable water), except for one small negligible area which is located to the south of Governorate.

The river system is tidal in and around Basra due to its proximity to the Gulf. In the past the sustained inflow of fresh water from the Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries prevented the intrusion of salt water upstream and the inhabitants of the Governorate enjoyed good quality water from the Shatt Al Arab throughout the region. However, the second half of the 20th Century witnessed changes in the hydrology of the region mainly due to dams that were constructed on the Tigris and the Euphrates upstream of Basra in Iraq, Turkey and Syria.

The former Iraqi regime complicated the situation by draining the Mesopotamian Marshes which resulted in drying out nearly 90% of this vast area in the immediate vicinity of the Governorate of Basra. This caused catastrophic environmental and economic damage in the Governorate and its environs resulting in significant deterioration of the quality of water flowing in the Shatt Al Arab and the interconnected streams and increased the demand on fresh water.

In the last years the amount of water that reaches the downstream part of the Iraqi network decreased significantly because of the construction of dams and other structures in the upstream part and in the riparian countries. The most impacted region is the lower part of the catchment in the Governorate of Basra. Therefore the analysis of the flow trends show how the availability of surface water decreases significantly in the last years highlighted for the future a potential water issue for Basra Governorate.

The drinking water supply sector relies for services on a network of state entities. Under the Governorates’ directorates there are district and sub-district water offices (delivery units) which manage the water and sanitation service within the administrative areas under their jurisdiction.

In general, these bodies work under a set of dependencies that limit their control over water quality and price of services. The present institutional structure does not allow for any delegation or autonomy of service providers. In effect, service providers have no freedom or responsibility with respect to planning of financing/investment and construction/maintenance. Finally, this limits improvements in services, maintenance and operations.

All the water used for water supply purposes in Basra Governorate comes mainly from Shatt Al Arab (water supply infrastructures located in the northern districts have the intakes along Euphrates and Tigris). The river water is used for drinking water supply to urban and rural areas in the governorate as well as for agricultural purposes in the areas along the main rivers and canals. The water quality suffers from high salinity and due to the low water quality; the water requires treatment before being supplied to populated areas. Several treatment plants, compact units, or desalination units (RO units) were installed to provide the populated areas with its water needs.

There is a total lack of water meters at the private connections. The accounting system applied by the Water Directorate, is based on a flat rate tariff which does not provide any incentive for a proper and careful use of the water by the customers.

Almost half of the governorate’s inhabitants report the availability of drinking water as bad or very bad. Less than half of the people connected to the public water network have water available for the full day. The limited availability of drinking water is directly connected to a number of environmental problems threatening Basra’s fresh water supply.

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Critical strategic issues: . The existing water supply network has not been mapped – this prevents the elaboration of any master plans and effective planning; . Outdated water distribution pipes need replacing – the facilities are old (most installed in the 1970s), and the water leakage rate is high; . No water meters are installed at the private connections; . Lack of ground water tanks and pump stations; . Need of desalinisation plants for areas with high salinity; . Lack of reliable data for evaluation and analysis of existing facilities – lack of modern systems (such as such as SCADA) for monitoring the status of the network (e.g. pipe pressure levels, etc.) to allow timely identification of problems and improve planning; . Lack of specialised equipment; . Lack of staff capacity in some departments (maintenance and collection); . Complexity of factors for the conservation and management of marshes, incl. the need for coordination with the neighbouring governorates.

Vision

Drinking water provided to all people and businesses in the governorate in accordance with international standards quality and quantity.

It is necessary to find a balance between available water resources and water demand. This calls for: application of strict and effective demand management measures; maximising the use of non-traditional water resources (treated water); increased reclamation of water from agricultural production water in areas with renewable water sources; and continued support and incentives to farmers to use modern irrigation techniques. Strict measures should be applied to rationalise consumption; and water standards should be linked with appropriate tariffs that take into account both trends in consumption and the sustainability of water resources.

The quality and efficiency of water services need to be upgraded to near standard levels, particularly in terms of quality.

In terms of coverage, network losses and quality of service, there is need for improvement. A large share of the population still rely on water supply from tanks, at a much higher cost than the water of the network. Addressing this issue requires intensified efforts to upgrade technically the existing water purification plant, to reduce water network losses, and to improve protection from contamination.

Finally, expanding the role of the private sector can contribute to increasing the water provision and water treatment services and the available financing, thereby increasing the coverage and quality of services.

Specific objectives:

. Specific objective 1: Upgraded water supply network that allows to attain water supply standards . Specific objective 2: Improved water sector performance capacity and revenue . Specific objective 3: Conservation and management of marshlands as main water resource

Specific objective 1 responds to the need to identify and rehabilitate the old water network, as well as to increase the capacity to monitor the status of the network to allow timely identification and response to problems. Specific objective 2 responds to the need to improve the measurement and collection of charges for the use of the water supply network, as well as to improve the human resource capacity in the sector. Specific objective 3 responds to the need to improve the management of wet territories as a special world heritage area and main water source.

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Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions Programme 3: Improve the water supply service Specific objective 1: Upgraded water supply network that allows to attain water supply standards Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Mapping of the existing  Cary out mapping of the existing water supply network. and Study water supply network Research and assess its condition and needs for rehabilitation in order to reduce losses. 2 Technical/ Water supply network  Develop and implement a rehabilitation programme for the Investment rehabilitation programme water supply network – with focus on urban centres and high- density areas – in order to reduce losses and reach the water supply standards. 3 Technical/ Implementation of modern  Implement modern pressure monitoring systems in the water Investment pressure monitoring systems supply network – to monitor pressure in the pipes and in the water supply network identify areas of leakage and fractures - in order to reduce losses and achieve the water supply standards. 4 Technical/ Building of desalinisation  Develop and implement a programme for the building of Investment plants for areas with high desalinisation plants for areas with high salinity salinity Specific objective 2: Improved water sector performance capacity and revenue Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Models to improve  Develop models to improve the measurement and the and Study measuring and collection of collection of charges for the use of the water supply network fees for use of the water according to the specificities of the individual regions of the supply network governorate. 2 Technical/ Application of developed  Apply the developed models (above) and achieve 90% fee Investment charging models collection rate in the areas served. 3 Technical/ Installation of water meters  Implement a programme for installation of water meters and Investment and appliances for water appliances for measuring water consumption. consumption measurement 4 Human Increasing the efficiency of  Organise and conduct training courses for staff in the water Resources staff in the water sector sector to improve their performance and efficiency.  Purchase the necessary software 5 Awareness Raising awareness on the  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign among need to pay for used water the population on the need to pay for used water 6 Technical/ Purchase of equipment for  Plan, organise and purchase equipment for the management Investment management and and maintenance of the water supply network. maintenance of the network Specific objective 3: Conservation and management of marshlands as main water resource Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research and Establishing a joint working  Establishing a joint working group for the management of the Study group on wetland marshes between the governorates management  Developing models to increase the effectiveness of applied biodiversity conservation measures, discontinuing drainage processes, limiting pollution from the oil industry, sustainable use of resources for social and economic development of the population

4. Programme 4: Improve wastewater management

Rationale

The sector includes the collection, treatment and management of wastewater from homes, industrial, commercial, educational and other areas, and runoff. The sector is of great importance for human health, quality of life, food safety, water availability. It is also important economically – e.g. as it serves to limit and mitigate environmental degradation, and as it helps improve the conditions for development of agriculture and industry (through water reclamation).

Basra Governorate generally lacks of wastewater collection networks and treatment plants. Only one wastewater treatment facility exists within Al Basra District

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Raw sewage is discharged untreated to water courses and the environment. There is no public sewerage service in many rural communities in the Governorate. Households in many cases discharge their wastewater into septic tanks and then directly onto unpaved roads from where the sewage runs into small ditches or into the small canals used for irrigation purposes which cross the inhabited areas.

The main problem in the sector is the major shortage of sewerage and sanitation service in cities – due to: low/no network coverage of cities; depreciated and damaged sewerage network; neglect; high costs for maintenance; poor maintenance and operation of treatment plants.

Whether urban or rural, water or sanitation, there is a need to improve the collection and quality of data about the sector. In addition, as the sectors become larger and more sophisticated, there will be a need to further enhance the technical and managerial capacity of a full range of stakeholders including service providers, system owners, oversight agencies in government and customers.

Critical strategic issues: . Lack of sewerage network coverage of cities . Depreciated and damaged sewerage network (e.g. cracks and leakages) . Poor maintenance and operation of treatment plants . Outdated wastewater treatment methods . Lack of electronic control system to control the operation of pump stations . Areas of coverage exist outside sewerage network maps – due to missing data there is need for mapping of old networks . Need for changes to regulations regarding the use of runoff collection systems; . Capacity building since there is a general lack of expertise in the sector

Vision

Urban sewerage systems, runoff collection systems, wastewater treatment plants and water reclamation facilities (for re-use of wastewater in agriculture and industry) operate in accordance with national environmental standards.

Addressing the evident gaps in the sector requires critical policies – e.g. with relevance for environmental protection. A new institutional framework should be established to manage the sector efficiently and effectively and as integrated with other sectors. There is need to develop the technical and managerial capacities of staff in the sector, as well as to increase awareness among the population to ensure their support to efforts to attain the standards of the service.

Strategic objectives: . Specific objective 1: Upgraded sewerage network and facilities allow to attain sewerage standards . Specific objective 2: Sewerage system performance and revenue improved . Specific objective 3: Capacity of administration and staff improved.

Specific objective 1 responds to the need to identify and rehabilitate the old sewage network, as well as extend the sewerage system and modernise treatment plants and methods. Specific objective 2 is aimed to contribute to improved measurement and collection of charges for use of the sewerage network, improved human resource capacity and performance, and improved revenue. Specific objective 3 is aimed to improve the human resources and administration capacity in the sector.

Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions Programme 4: Improve the sewerage and sanitation service Specific objective 1: Upgraded sewerage network and facilities allow to attain sewerage standards Activity Project type Project Short description 1 Research Mapping of old sewage  Map old sewage networks; research and assess their and Study networks condition and need for rehabilitation to reduce leakages. 2 Technical/ Rehabilitation programme for  Develop and implement a rehabilitation programme for the Investment the sewage network sewerage network, with focus on areas in urban centres and areas with high density of inhabitants – in order to reduce the leakages and achieve the sewage standards.

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3 Technical/ Extension of the sewerage  Develop and implement a programme for extension of the Investment network sewerage network. 4 Technical/ Implementation of modern  Implementation of modern electronic control system to Investment control systems for pump control the operation of pump stations in order to reduce stations leakages. 5 Technical/ Building of treatment plants  Develop and implement a programme for building of Investment treatment plants – introducing new wastewater treatment, plant maintenance and plant operation methods. 6 Technical/ Improving the power supply for  Build an emergency electricity supply line to pump stations Investment pump stations and treatment and treatment plants – to reduce the threat to operation plants and performance from power failure and instability. 7 Legislation Regulatory changes regarding  Assessment and draft changes to regulations regarding the runoff collection systems use of runoff collection systems. Specific objective 2: Sewerage system performance and revenue improved Activity Project type Project Short description 1 Research Measures to reduce pollution  Investigate and classify the main polluters and and Study and contamination. contaminants.  Introduce mini filtering systems.  Link the issue of permits to the volume of pollution. 2 Awareness Awareness raising on the  Plan, organise and conduct an information campaign importance of wastewater among the population on the need to pay for sewage systems and the need to pay for system access and use, on the role of wastewater systems sewerage for sewerage service to protect the environment from contaminated water, on the associated public health risk, and on what citizens can do to protect the system from misuse and damage. 3 Technical/ Purchase of equipment for  Plan, organise and purchase equipment for the Investment management and maintenance management and maintenance of the wastewater system. of wastewater system Specific objective 3: Capacity of administration and staff improved Activity Project type Project Short description 1 Research Complaints system for  Create a system for receiving and responding promptly to and Study/ sewerage sector complaints and alerts. HR  Train staff to accept and respond to complaints and alerts. 2 Awareness/ Training on occupational safety  Organise and conduct training on occupational safety and Human health for staff employed in wastewater management – Resources incl. rules, risks, precautions and first aid in case of e.g. work at depths and in case of dangerous gases.

5. Programme 5: Improve municipal services

Rationale

The municipal sector includes services within the boundaries of the municipalities of cities. It includes the competences exercised by the municipal departments, namely the municipality's Directorate, which manages administratively and financially all the municipal institutions in the districts. The work of municipal institutions is governed by Law No. 21 (2008, amended) and Law No. 165 (1964, amended), in addition to laws and regulations issued by the federal government related to the work of municipalities.

Municipal services include the maintenance of streets, sidewalks, intersections, green/recreation and market areas; the development of cities in accordance with certain standards; care for traffic engineering; waste collection and operation of landfills in compliance with health standards.

A solution to the issue of street congestion - a total of 37 "hot spots" in the centre of Basra, of which 27 heavily overloaded intersections - has to be solved. Street congestion is also due to power interruptions, which is why signalling devices often do not work.

It is necessary to build and favoured areas around markets and industrial areas, to build landfills, recycling plants.

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Critical strategic issues: . Lack of financial allocations for the purpose of providing the required services . Need to rehabilitate streets and green areas. . Need to build modern landfills and recycling plants . Need to expand the organised waste collection . Weak technical expertise in the field of waste collection and processing

Vision

Municipal service delivery meets the growing needs of the urban population, it has improved efficiency, it supports private sector participation, and it improves the quality of life of citizens.

Continued effort is necessary to develop the technical and human resource capacities of municipal institutions; to raise the efficiency of staff; to increase attention to generating financial revenues from municipal services; to optimise institutional structures; to review and improve the allocation of services depending on economic and social feasibility; to improve waste collection and processing and its management efficiency; and to maintain public health and safety.

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Efficient management of assets and resources and increased revenue . Specific objective 2: Integrated waste management strategy developed . Specific objective 3: Municipal services upgraded.

Specific objective 1 responds to the need of information about public land and improving its usage. Specific objective 2 is aimed to contribute to improving the technical expertise in waste management, waste collection and recycling. Specific objective 3 is aimed to improve quality of streets and green areas through rehabilitation.

Strategic objective 1: Improved access to public services in rural areas and improved living conditions Programme 5: Improve municipal services Specific objective1: Efficient management of assets and resources and increased revenue Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Public register of municipal  Create a public register of municipal property, including data and Study property on the pre-designation of the land and the state of the adjacent infrastructure. 2 Legislation Review of legal procedures to  The review will allow to take appropriate action to protect protect public lands public land and prevent infringement. 3 Legislation Updated criteria for public  Develop updated criteria for public land allocation procedures land allocation procedures for various sectors. Specific objective 2: Integrated waste management strategy Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Integrated waste  Develop an integrated waste management strategy on the and Study management strategy principle of public-private partnership – to cover waste collection and processing services and design and construction of waste disposal, sorting and recycling facilities. Specific objective 3: Municipal services upgraded Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Mapping of the street and  Perform mapping of the street networks and green areas. and Study green area network  Study and assess their condition and needs for rehabilitation. 2 Technical/ Rehabilitation programme for  Develop and implement a rehabilitation programme for the Investment the street and green area street and green areas network – with focus on areas in urban network centres and areas with high density of inhabitants in order to achieve the service standards. 3 Research Partnership programme for  Develop a programme for expansion of the system of and Study recreational areas and partnerships, investments, land rents, etc. – toward commercial markets establishment of recreational areas and commercial markets.

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6. Programme 6: Develop the telecommunications service

Rationale

The ICT sector is a rapidly growing economic sector that also serves other economic activities and public services. Ensuring a high-quality optical link is critical to the development and accessibility of the Internet, e- government, CCTV infrastructures, the banks networks, the traffic network and other services. One of the objectives of the Ministry of Communications is to complete this optical network and develop it inside Iraq, in addition to developing the international cable network to improve the Internet service and the establishment of e-government with its multiple applications.

In addition to the above, the ministry's administration provides postal services to individuals and institutions, which include savings, international and local mail, postal parcels and postal boxes through a group of post offices located in the governorate.

Critical strategic issues:

. Absence of a national mobile phone network . Current telephone network is damaged and inefficient . Reluctance of citizens to use the landline . Increase the cost of postal parcels and slow the arrival of mail to the concerned party

Vision

A high-quality telecommunications and wired internet service covering Basra governorate creating the means to establish e-government, linking banks and other networking features. Fast and reliable national and international postal activity.

Specific objectives:

. Specific objective 1: Providing terrestrial and mobile communications services and internet with quality and high coverage . Specific objective 2: Improvement of postal services

Specific objective 1 responds to problems with the mobile and terrestrial network and need of more quality and secure Internet access. Specific objective 2 is aimed at overcoming the low coverage and low speed of postal services.

Strategic objective 2: Enabling environment for economic development Programme 6: Develop the telecommunications service Specific objective 1: Providing terrestrial and mobile communications services and internet with quality and high coverage Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Legislation Improved sector legislation  Review and evaluate the sector legislation  Develop a model, that simplifies the processes (simpler procedures, reduced administrative burden) – in order to speed adoption of legal acts by local government  Adoption of rules preventing damage to the network 2 Technical/ Insert modern  Approval of optical access projects at the governorate centre. Investment communication projects  Approval of optical access projects in the districts. such as FTTH  Exception of the two optical access projects in Qurna and Zubayr Activate wireless switch of the Council of Ministers Resolution 347 for the year 2015 and project by Basra provincial their re-employment and completion. Council  Exception of the draft wireless switch from the Council of Ministers Resolution 347 for the year 2015 and re-operation and completion. 3 Human Capacity development  Development of functional competences for occupying the Resources necessary positions for development of the sector

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4 Research Establishment PPP with  Motivate chambers, unions and associations to participate in the and Study local or foreign partners implementation of investment opportunities through the establishment of PPP with local or foreign partners. Specific objective 2: Improvement of postal services Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Reduce the cost of postal  Examine the possibility of development of new transport roots and Study transportation without intermediaries 2 Technical/ Clear indication of areas  Renumber areas and streets, homes and other buildings Investment and streets systematically 3 Technical/ Mailing equipment and  - Equipped modern vehicles to transport mail and bicycles for Investment processing supply the distribution of mail.  The use of young and efficient elements to distribute mail.  Introduction of postal automation for stamping and sorting operations. 4 Technical/ Development of a postal  A postal Bank creates a competitive banking services and deals Investment Bank mail reality with postal orders 5 Capacity Effective marketing  Develop a programme for adopting modern and innovative building methods to promote post marketing methods to promote post services. services

7. Programme 7: Encourage investment and industry development

Rationale

Investment is a driving force for development, driving up competitiveness, trade, productivity and economic diversification. Promoting investment opportunities is bound with creating an active business environment in the governorate, improving the investment climate, introducing benefits, incentives and guarantees, and ensuring the appropriate facilities and human resources. Successful investments generate multiple benefits – for the beneficiary, investors, society and the country development priorities.

Basra Governorate, whose capital is the city of Basra (Iraq’s third largest urban centre), represents the economic powerhouse of the whole Iraqi state. In April 2017 the Iraqi Parliament voted unanimously to consider Basra Governorate as Iraq’s economic capital.

It is the only country's port with the outpost of the Arabian Gulf and its main seaport. This is one of the important Governorates in Iraq, because of the oil fields among which are Rumaila field, Shi'aiba field, western Qurna field, and Majnoun field. Due to its location as it occurs in the plains of Rafidain valley, it is one of the important centres for planting rice, barley, wheat, and millet. It is also famous for cattle breading. The Governorate occurs on varying terrain land includes plains, upland, and desert and is also considered as a tourists Governorate for having many religious shrines and historical sites.

Basra Governorate is one of the focal areas for the national oil production, processing and export system. The governorate has a huge potential in terms of oil and gas production and therefore a huge potential for the economical, infrastructure, technological development of the governorate.

On the territory of Basra governorate 30 large enterprises have their functions in the industry sector according to 2015 data, which means an increase of 20% compared with the previous year.

Industry and Manufacturing are the important potential economic drivers of the non-oil economy in Iraq.

Basra presents a unique opportunity in the southern region, having substantial resources and excellent position in terms the national transport corridors.

More than 30% of the companies recorded are located in the district of Al Zubair. 26% of main licensed industries are located in Al Basra. The main chemical industries are in Al Zubair. Construction industries are mainly located in Al Faw and Zubair. The main Refinery is Al Zubair.

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As the planning opportunities, it should be noted that the private sector presence in Basra Governorate is slightly higher than at national level. This can represent an opportunity for the Governorate since the private sector can play a critical role in the reconstruction and development.

The investment process is regulated by Investment Law No. 13 (2006) and its amendments. Governorate Investment Agencies – the only official bodies concerned with the management of the portfolio of investments in governorates – are responsible for the implementation of this law. As such, they are responsible for identifying and promoting the comparative advantages of each governorate – be they geographical location, natural resources, land, groundwater, etc. – which underlie investment cooperation to achieve the development vision for the governorate. Attracting capital to implement plans that support economic and social development, in turn, contributes to raising the standard of citizens in the governorate.

The challenges that stand in the way of attracting investments in Basra are many – and they are pertain to the overall investment climate in Iraq, namely: regulatory environment, statutory limitations periods, overlapping or inconsistent regulations, weak banking services, better competitive position of neighbouring countries, etc. The financial crisis has led to inability to deliver services to investment projects. Responding to all of these matters falls outside the scope of the local government.

Critical strategic issues: At the local level, problems regarding investment and industry development that can be overcome through joint coordination between the relevant authorities can be summarised as follows: . Weakness of the local investment agency – evidenced by the difficult/unclear procedures for granting investment licenses and the weak marketing of investment opportunities; . Existing problems with land allocation for investment projects – complex procedures at government departments, as well as tribal problems; . Weak qualification of staff employed in the investment sector – regarding e.g. preparation of maps for investment projects, preparation of feasibility studies, use of effective marketing methods or promotion process, etc.; . Lack of skilled staff and poor qualification of technical staff in the industrial sector; . Weak follow-up process for the granted investment licences.

Vision

A competitive domestic industry, which capitalises on Basra’s strategic geographic location, contributes to a diversified economy and the creation of jobs, while using resources efficiently and efficiently.

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Improved investment environment for domestic and foreign capital . Specific objective 2: Improved marketing and promotion of investment opportunities . Specific objective 3: Existing investments expanded.

Specific objective 1 responds to problems with the local investment environment and allocation of land for investment projects. Specific objective 2 is aimed at overcoming the low capacity in preparing, marketing and promoting investment opportunities. Specific objective 3 is focused on encouraging existing investors to expand their successful investments, while offering better qualified workforce, and with attention to small industry.

Strategic objective 2: Enabling environment for economic development Programme 7: Encourage investment and industry development Specific objective 1: Improved investment environment for domestic and foreign capital Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Legislation Improved system of  Review and evaluate the licensing system. licensing  Develop a model, that simplifies the processes (simpler procedures, reduced administrative burden) – in order to improve the investment environment. 2 Research Establishment of joint  Motivate chambers, unions and associations to participate in the and Study ventures with local or implementation of investment opportunities through the foreign capital establishment of joint ventures with local or foreign capital.

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3 Research Develop feasibility studies  Complete preliminary feasibility studies for all investment and Study opportunities offered – in coordination with Basra University and private consultants. Specific objective 2: Improved marketing and promotion of investment opportunities Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Investment map  Create an investment map for all sectors in cooperation with the and Study relevant authorities. 2 Capacity Effective marketing  Develop a programme for adopting modern and innovative building methods to promote marketing methods to promote investment opportunities. investment opportunities 3 Technical/ Online Investment Portal  Updating and elaborate the investment website into an effective Investment of Basra Governorate online Investment Portal of Basra Governorate – to include the electronic services, all required data on investment opportunities, a guide to the procedures of the issue of investment licenses, feasibility studies and economic indicators for Basra, and anything else that investors may request 4 Awareness Programme for exhibitions  Develop and establish a programme of exhibitions in to promote investment cooperation with local and national institutions to promote opportunities investment opportunities. 5 Awareness Measures to promote  Coordinate with Iraqi embassies and commercial attachés in Basra investment countries to present investment opportunities in Basra. opportunities abroad  Develop information materials. Specific objective 3: Existing investments expanded Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Capacity Establishment of special  Establish special coordination council for the investment and Building coordination council for industrial sectors – in order to help: investment and industrial  Encourage existing investors to expand their successful development investments and to replicate them in other locations in the governorate.  Encourage partnerships between domestic and foreign investors.  Develop the industrial sector through the implementation of plans prepared for this purpose and coordination of efforts of relevant authorities. 2 Technical/ Support to vocational  Develop a programme to support vocational training centres to Investment training centres provide training in the management of industrial projects and relevant skilled technicians. 3 Technical/ Support to small industry  Develop a programme to support the establishment of small Investment and entrepreneurship industry/entrepreneurship projects through the provision of financial and administrative facilities and local services.

8. Programme 8: Strengthen the agriculture sector

Rationale

Agriculture is based on the cultivation of wheat, barley, vegetables and some fruits for daily consumption. Palm orchards concentrate near river banks. The Date Palm cultivation has largely decreased in the last 30 years with a great reduction of the Date palm grove. The area used to be the largest area for date cultivation in the world but mainly the Iran-Iraq war has caused its decline.

The main parameter for the water quality evaluation is the TDS as measure of salinity. The Basra region of Iraq has great potential for the development of irrigated agriculture. However, the increasing salinization of the Shatt Al Arab River water and soils on prime agricultural land is hindering such opportunity. It is well known that the increasing salinization in river water and soils is, for the most part, attributed to the advancement of water utilization in the upper basins of the rivers. Increasing use of water in the upper basins has reduced the discharge of the Shat Al Arab River and deteriorated its quality by discharging highly saline wastewater.

The capacity to attract capital to implement projects in the agricultural sector is weak; there is need to ease the procedures for obtaining investment licenses and the establishment of projects.

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The rehabilitation and completion of large irrigation and drainage projects in the province depends on: . Significant investments to completed . Salinity level . Demand increase rates . Human resources to complete the project in the areas concerned.

The rehabilitation, rehabilitation and reprocessing of Ministry of Agriculture facilities throughout Basra will encounter the following limitations: . Tradition of a state-run agricultural sector . Lack of skilled staff able to meet the needs of intensive reforms to be carried out.

The establishment and development of the agricultural sector in Basra will be limited and restricted due to: . Need for large investments in advanced technologies and technical knowledge . Need for educated and trained entrepreneurs who are open to the dynamics of the free market.

Critical strategic issues: . Poor irrigation network, low irrigation capacity . Outdated/inappropriate irrigation methods – need for R&D, technology . Low productivity and competitiveness – need for knowledge-based agriculture, R&D – incl. to improve production and marketing processes . Low storage capacity . Weak investment environment . Low private sector involvement . Insufficient human resources.

Vision

An agricultural sector based on sustainable agriculture as a development approach; as such, it contributes to eliminating economic disparities and raising income and living standards – by enhancing productivity and job creation – while also preserving non-renewable resources (soil and water).

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Irrigation capacity increased . Specific objective 2: Modern irrigation methods in agriculture adopted . Specific objective 3: Knowledge-based and technology-based agriculture promoted to increase production . Specific objective 4: Industrial, commercial and investment projects developed based on agriculture sector outputs

Specific objective 1 responds to the main weakness of the irrigation system (capacity). Specific objective 2 is aimed at capacity increase as well, while also strengthening the use of modern irrigation methods in agriculture. Specific objective 3 is focused on knowledge-based agriculture as an instrument for increasing productivity. Specific objective 4 boosts the activities of the private sector and creation of local markets as well as supporting the coexistence of oil sector and agriculture.

Strategic objective 2: Enabling environment for economic development Programme 8: Strengthen the agriculture sector Specific objective 1: Irrigation capacity increased Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Preparation of irrigation  Analyse the status of existing irrigation projects and prioritise and Study infrastructure interventions (projects under this activity should be for specific development programme irrigation projects).  Develop priority investment programme.  Develop work plans for projects implementation. 2 Technical/ Implement the irrigation  In cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources, complete Investment infrastructure the necessary planning, secure the funding and build the development programme prioritised irrigation projects.

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Specific Objective 2: Modern irrigation methods in agriculture adopted Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Best practices in irrigation  Conduct research on the use of irrigation methods and and Study methods, techniques and techniques most appropriate to the nature and quantities of practices in Basra water resources in Basra. Identify best practices for their implementation, incl. support for modern irrigation systems, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation and control devices. In coordination of Basra University. 2 Technical/ Piloting of projects using  Plan and implement pilot projects for use of the proposed Investment best-practice irrigation irrigation methods (above). methods Specific objective 3: Knowledge-based and technology-based agriculture developed Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Technical/ Grants programme for  Develop a grants programme for scientific/applied research and Investment scientific research and innovation - in order to activate the role of the university as a innovation application research centre to conduct research to address the problems of the agricultural sector, esp. soil and water issues, irrigation methods and salinity treatment problems. 2 Technical/ Increase productivity of  Providing support for the introduction and use of effective and Investment agricultural crops and safe fertilizers, pesticides, vaccines and veterinary medicines improve livestock productivity 3 Technical/ Providing access to  Development and implementation of a program for creation and Investment specialized laboratories equipment of specialized laboratories for prevention and processing of products in agriculture 4 Technical/ Experimental pilot farms  Develop or implement experimental pilot farms throughout the Investment governorate to carry out research activities focused on field testing of new varieties of agricultural crops and animal breeds. 5 Technical/ Promoting local  Create business plans for (indicative) for agricultural projects in Investment entrepreneurship in the course of university research in the field of animals/plants. agriculture by providing  Create model for projects, economic feasibility, methods of ready to implement management and marketing of the products and cadres models for small private required for them in addition to the production techniques. business in the area of  Provision of consultancy and support for agricultural agriculture entrepreneurs during their start (Business incubation services) 6 Human Capacity development of  Develop and organise training courses for agricultural workers Resources agricultural workers (employees and farmers) Specific objective 4: Industrial, commercial and investment projects developed based on agriculture sector outputs Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Investment map  Create an investment map of the sites of proposed agricultural and Study projects. 2 Technical/ Establishment of modern  In coordination involving municipal institutions, the private Investment markets for agricultural sector and the Investment Authority, establish modern markets produce for fruits and vegetables, equipped with refrigerated stores, logistics facilities and quality control services. 3 Research Establishment of farmer  Support the establishment of farmer cooperatives to improve and Study cooperatives production and marketing.  Identify best practices in the region; analyse the potential of existing structures. Elaboration of models. 4 Technical/ Database system for  Establishing a database system aimed to provide all information Investment agricultural sector on the agricultural sector – and thereby support decision-making regarding agriculture sector development. 5 Research Supporting the coexistence  Jointly with the oil ministry to identify pipelines, oil wells and oil and Study of oil sector and production areas agriculture  Preparing legislation to prevent the eradication of trees and the use of agricultural land for industrial and residential purposes

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9. Programme 9: Develop the tourism sector

Rationale

The tourism sector stands to play a major role in supporting the local economy and jobs creation in Basra Governorate. While a number of sites present excellent potential for tourism, the tourism sector here is at an early stage of development.

Development of the sector requires strengthening public-private sector partnerships and making them more effective – by setting ambitious sector growth targets and identifying specific activities for implementation in order to: optimise the contribution of the tourism sector to economic, social and cultural development; the success of tourism institutions; and the preservation of cultural heritage and archaeological sites. Finally, such activities would allow Basra to take a place on the national and international map as a distinct tourist destination.

Critical strategic issues: . Lack of investment in the marshland areas, incl. lack of access roads . Lack of bodies and mechanisms to promote the tourism sector in the governorate . Weak tourism services in the governorate . Lack of human capital in the governorate on the hospitality side or in the field of archaeology . Low awareness regarding the opportunities in and value of tourism among citizens of the governorate . Poor promotion of tourism opportunities . Lack of capacity in the excavation, conservation and exhibiting of archaeological remains.

Vision

Development of a complex tourist product based on the historical and natural heritage of Basra

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Basra promoted to the level of tourist destination of interest to both visitors and investors . Specific objective 2: Qualified workforce developed in tourism and hospitality . Specific objective 3: Tourism awareness promoted in society.

Specific objective 1 centres on overcoming the lack of bodies and mechanisms to promote the tourism sector in the province, incl. weakness of tourist services; it also responds to the lack of adequate protection for archaeological sites and the lack of capacity in the excavation, conservation and exhibiting of archaeological remains. Specific objective 2 responds to the need for human resource development in the sector. Specific objective 3 responds to the low public awareness of tourism as a viable economic alternative.

Strategic objective 2: Enabling environment for economic development Programme 9: Develop the tourism sector Specific objective1: Basra promoted to the level of tourist destination of interest to both visitors and investors Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Establishment of Local  Establish a local body which will be responsible for developing and and Study Council on tourism implementing the work plan and tasks for development of the tourism sector.  Coordination of sectoral policies (tourism - municipality - environment - health - investment) to overcome the problems related to planning and construction of tourist sites and infrastructure 2 Research Elaboration of  Elaborate a programme for cooperation with the Investment and Study programme for Authority in the presentation of tourism opportunities in the cooperation with the governorate – to help boost sector investments and strengthen Investment Authority partnerships with the private sector.  Introducing the one-stop-shop principle to ease the procedures for investing in the tourism sector  Encouraging investment in the tourism sector by introducing a

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three-year "tax holiday" 3 Research Tourist map and guide  Create a tourist map and guide of the governorate – including and Study of the Governorate tourist attractions and facilities, archaeological and heritage sites, recreational and sports areas, and local product markets (handicrafts as well as fruits and vegetables).  The map should be an interactive online tool which allows print of map on paper. 4 Technical/ Building of local crafts  Build modern marketplaces equipped with logistics facilities for local Investment markets an tourist sites craftsmen at tourist sites – in coordination between municipalities, the private sector, and the Investment Authority and/or the new Local Council on tourism. 5 Awareness Programme of events to  In cooperation with governorate institutions and the private sector, promote tourism in the develop and implement a programme of exhibitions, fairs and sports Governorate events that serves to promote tourism opportunities in Basra. 6 Awareness Including local  In coordination with the relevant authorities and tourist companies, attractions in the routes include tourism and archaeological areas in the governorate as stops for regional tourism in the routes promoted to foreign visitors, with specific attention to religious tourism in Iraq and entrants from the ports in Basra. 7 Research Modernising the  In coordination with Basra, conduct research on the modern and Study conservation and techniques for conservation and exhibition of archaeological sites in exhibition of the Governorate and analysis of best practices for their archaeological sites implementation. 8 Technical/ Improved access to  Develop and implement a programme for improving the access to Investment archaeological sites and archaeological sites and tourism places, incl. organised visits. tourism places programme 9 Technical/ Improved access to  Develop and implement a programme for improving the access to Investment Marshlands and Marshlands as touristic place boosted facilities  Build touristic info-centres and stops in the area; creation  Creation of canoes roots through the marshland area 10 Awareness Measures to promote  Invite diplomatic missions operating in Iraq to organise visits to tourism opportunities tourist and archaeological sites in the governorate, in coordination abroad with companies and tourist offices.  In coordination with foreign universities and through diplomatic missions operating in Iraq, organise scientific and tourist visits to sites in the governorate for students in history and archaeology.  Elaborate relevant information materials, incl. newsletter. Specific objective 2: Qualified workforce developed in tourism and hospitality Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Human Enhanced capabilities in  Develop and organise training courses for administrators in the field Resources tourism planning of tourism – members of the newly established Local Council on tourism and supporting administration. 2 Human Attracting young people  With support from local business, implement an awareness Resources to vocational schools in campaign to attract young people to vocational schools in the the tourism sector tourism sector 3 Human Developing the skills of  Hold high-level workshops and training courses to develop the skills Resources workers in tourism of workers in tourism – incl. compliance with the codes of conduct and ethics of the UNWTO – using competent trainers and in cooperation with CSOs and interested parties; in collaboration Basra University and Gulf Studies Center. Specific objective 3: Tourism awareness promoted in society Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Awareness Raising citizen tourism  In cooperation with CSOs and interested parties, organise seminars awareness to raise awareness among citizens on tourism and on how to deal with local and foreign tourists. 2 Awareness Promoting the benefits  Plan, organise and conduct an information campaign among the of tourism development population on the benefits of tourism development.  Organise school trips for students of schools and universities to promote awareness of the tourist landmarks of the governorate.

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10. Programme 10: Improve health services quality and access

Rationale

Health institutions in the governorate should pay attention to the health services they provide, their organisational status, their human resources manpower – in terms of structure, tasks, duties, qualifications or competencies as commensurate with the job requirements.

As in all of Iraq, the health service system in Basra is based predominantly in public hospitals. The contribution of the private sector is limited to a small number of hospitals that provide services at relatively high costs. This puts pressure on institutions, as the state should monitor the large amounts of health services provided by the state through legislative frameworks to ensure the health rights of the members of society.

Critical strategic issues: . Poor coordination between the public and private sectors . Low number of healthcare centres in rural areas . Need of modernisation of some legislation . A doctor-to-10 000-patients ratio is getting unfavourable . Child mortality levels are considerably higher than the country average . The share of the population with chronic disease is higher the country average . Need for promoting healthy lifestyles . Lack of IT system and database in the sector.

Vision

A society that is healthy physically, psychologically and socially.

Specific objectives:

. Specific objective 1: Improved quality and coverage of health services . Specific objective 2: Improved prevention . Specific objective 3: Research, information and technology base of health service strengthened.

Specific objective 1 responds to the imbalanced healthcare infrastructure, the need for planning skills, and the poor coordination between the public and private service provision. Specific objective 2 is entirely aimed at prevention promotion. Specific objective 3 is aimed at overcoming the lack of IT base in the sector and increasing the link between health service provision and medical/scientific research and scientific/technological developments in the field of health.

Strategic objective 3: Developed social services to support socially disadvantaged groups Programme 10: Improve health services quality and planning Specific objective1: Improved quality and coverage of health services Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Preparation of health  Elaborate an updated map of healthcare infrastructure and Study infrastructure development  Prioritise areas for infrastructure investment. programme 2 Research Preparation of private  Elaborate a programme for coordination of the provision of and Study provider coordination health services from the private sector. programme 3 Technical/ Monitoring system for  Develop and establish an effective monitoring system to Investment health service provision monitor the volume and efficiency of service provision – to track preventative care, diagnostic and therapeutic services, operations, emergency care, medical supplies, etc. 4 Technical/ Investment programme to  Implement an investment programme for building new Investment increase and upgrade healthcare centres, in particular in rural areas, and healthcare centres rehabilitation and upgrading of existing centres.

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5 Technical/ Health information  Strengthen the administration of health service provision –by Investment technology programmes implementing relevant IT programmes, e.g. to communicate information from primary and secondary healthcare centres to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, to maintain patient records, to maintain records of maternal and child morbidity and mortality data, etc. 6 Human Enhancing capacities in  Development and organisation of training courses for Resources health service planning healthcare administrators in the fields of healthcare planning 7 Human Improving a doctor-to-  Developing a program to attract qualified medical staff Resources 10 000-patients ratio 8 Technical/ Reducing maternal mortality  Provide adequate birthplaces in partnership with the private Investment sector  Provide doctors with adequate quality competence  Provide adequate equipment (echographs) and staff training 9 Technical/ Reducing child mortality  Provision of adequate neo-natal care facilities Investment  Provision of medical staff in the departments of neonatology with adequate quality competence  Provision of paediatric cardiologists and child cardiac surgeons  Provision of infant incubators with ventilation devices and staff training Specific objective 2: Improved prevention Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Technical/ Expanding of vaccination  Implement a programme for increased vaccine coverage. Investment programmes  Perform screening of employees and ensure their safety from communicable diseases. 2 Awareness Promoting the benefits of  Plan, organise and conduct an information campaign among vaccination the population on the benefits of vaccination programmes. 3 Awareness Promoting preventative  Public awareness programmes on hygiene, WASH, etc. healthcare through  Awareness campaigns to prevent blood transferred diseases awareness and education  Awareness raising to reduce child mortality rates. Specific objective 3: Research, information and technology base of health service strengthened Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Survey assessment of needs  Assess the needs of the population by socio-economic surveys and Study 2 Technical/ Health clinics database  Build a health database system to track the coverage of health Investment clinics 3 Research Promoting research and  Promote the participation of Basra University in research and and Study studies in community health studies that promote community health.

11. Programme 11: Improve social protection

Rationale

Reflecting on the social situation in the country in general and in Basra in particular, it is clear that the groups that need social attention are many. Although a number of policies and programmes have been implemented to reform the social protection system in the country, the effect on the population is limited and the majority of Basra’s population live in poverty. Prioritising social protection in the development of Basra is expected to contribute directly to improving the living conditions of the thousands of vulnerable families and individuals, and thus, to support social stability and peace.

Critical strategic issues: . For vulnerable groups and poor families:  Weak institutional performance in supporting vulnerable groups – as reflected in the low degree of effectiveness of programmes and initiatives in effectively helping vulnerable groups to respond to socio-economic challenges;  Lack of an overall vision to promote social integration – and instead, dependency on (mostly) partial social policies and procedures;

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 Lack of coordination and integration between actors in the social sector and between the public and the private sectors; . For youth:  Lack of a comprehensive national policy for youth – resulting in insufficient positive impact of services provided to young people;  Weak performance and experience of specialised staff in the technical and administrative management of youth institutions;  Relative shortage of some sports and recreational facilities for young people; . For women:  High illiteracy and low education enrolment rates for women, especially in rural areas;  Lack of awareness of women’s rights;  Discrimination against women is a deeply influential cultural factor;  Weak role of women in economic activity – linked to the prevailing social culture in families, which affects negatively the professional status of women.

Vision

A cohesive, secure and stable society based on effective institutions and on the values of self-realisation, participation, inclusion and social responsibility, where vulnerable groups enjoy protection and justice.

Strategic objectives: . Specific objective 1: Family and community environment conducive to the integration of vulnerable groups . Specific objective 2: Social protection programme developed . Specific objective 3: Social integration and improved participation of young people . Specific objective 4: Qualitative change in the dominant culture of gender discrimination.

The attainment of Specific objective 1 will contribute to overcoming of identified gaps and to meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Specific objective 2 is entirely aimed at reform and development of social protection. Specific objective 3 is aimed at inclusion of youth in community life. Specific objective 4 targets the need to reduce gender discrimination.

Strategic objective 3: Developed social services to support socially disadvantaged groups Programme 11: Improve social protection Specific objective1: Family and community environment conducive to the integration of vulnerable groups Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Awareness Promoting the importance  Plan, organise and carry out a public information campaign to of social work and promote awareness of the importance of social and volunteer volunteer work work at the levels of individual and community. 2 Awareness Building partnerships to  Organise a series of seminars and information meetings for support and expand social CSOs and the private sector in view of building partnerships to protection delivery support the delivery and expand the scope of social protection services 3 Awareness Awareness raising on the  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign – incl. roles and shared implement specific programmes – to raise awareness about the responsibilities within a roles and shared responsibilities within the institution of marriage marriage. Specific objective 2: Social protection programme developed Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Development of criteria for  Develop clear and fair targeting criteria for categories of and Study access of vulnerable vulnerable groups with respect to access to specific social groups to social protection protection measures.  Accurately identify priorities and categories that should receive care and support (e.g. female heads of household, disabled).  Continuously update the targeting mechanisms.

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2 Research Preparation of integrated  Prepare an integrated programme for support to vulnerable and Study programme for support to groups, which links the system of social protection, loan vulnerable groups protection to poor families, consulting services, measures to get out of poverty and temporary unemployment, measures to stimulate economic activity.  Develop consultancy to support borrowers and small projects. 3 Human Building of planning  Develop and organise training courses for relevant Resources capabilities in the area of administration staff on planning in the area of social protection. social protection 4 Technical/ Improved quality of  Improve the quality of child care services, esp. in care Investment childcare services institutions and rehabilitation centres, and home education for children. 5 Research Development of financial  Apply conditional cash support system focused on certain target and Study programme for target actions, based on identified priority sectors and target strategic actions economic activities. Specific objective 3: Social integration and improved participation of young people Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Awareness Youth skills development  Implement a number of seminars annually to support skills programme development among youth, with focus on their roles in the process of comprehensive development of the community. 2 Awareness Promoting healthy  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign among lifestyles among youth young people to promote health-conscious life choices (on e.g. sanitation/microbes, food nutrition, exercise, etc.) 3 Awareness Promoting the importance  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign among of education and drug the population, especially young people, to promote awareness prevention among youth of the importance of education and drug prevention. 4 Technical/ Improving the sports and  Build new and rehabilitate existing sports and cultural centres Investment cultural centres network for work with young people. Specific objective 4: Qualitative change in the dominant culture of gender discrimination Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Legislation Fostering women’s  Draft regulatory changes toward involvement of women in all participation in bodies and permanent and temporary committees of government government. 2 Awareness Promoting women’s rights  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign to raise awareness of the importance of the role of women. 3 Research Promoting women's  Prepare a 5-year programme to encourage women's initiatives and Study initiatives 4 Research Development of financial  Increase the amount of loans made to empower women and and Study programme for target strengthen their economic role. actions aimed at women

12. Programme 12: Improve education quality and access

Rationale

Education is an important axis of socio-economic development. It stands to produce the educated and specialised workforce who can influence the development of the Governorate and take responsibility for it.

The Governorate’s Education sector strategy strives to fill the education gaps between rural and urban areas and poor neighbourhoods areas, aiming also at the achievement of gender equity in education. It also addresses harmonization and coordination between graduates and the job market through specific vocational and high- specialized curricula and tailor-made internship programs. Among the strategy’s objectives are reducing the number of students in certain overcrowded schools, solving the issue of land availability for new school buildings, improving the interaction between the school system and the expanding industrial/agricultural/tourism sectors that seek for new workers with high skills and competences tailored on the territorial needs.

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Concerning education and literacy, the governorate of Basra scores a bit better than the national average. The exception is the enrolment rate in secondary schools, which is lower than the national average and also saw a decrease from 45% in 2006 to 48,6% in 2011.

There is currently severe shortage of teachers in boy schools, because female teachers are unwilling to work in them in the present social situation. The schools in Basra suffer from inadequate staffing for some of the disciplines.

Critical strategic issues: . High share of illiterate persons – almost 21% among those aged 10 years and above, much higher than the country average (11%). The share of people who can read and write but have no completed educational level is close to the country average; . School buildings are insufficient in number and many are in a rather poor condition; . An increasing student-to-teacher ratio – there is need to set standards for schools, such as a standard number of children per teacher, a standard number of students in a class, etc.; . There is a shortage of specialised teachers; . There is a severe shortage of teachers in boy schools; . Increase the percentage of dropout and lack of schooling . Weak ICT infrastructure and knowledge technology; . Lack of services (esp. water, electricity, roads for some schools) and lack of access to some rural schools.

Vision

Building an education system that provides quality training and support for ability to learn by investing in human resources and introducing modern technologies into the learning process

The future of Iraq depends on securing a safe and healthy environment for learning, personal development and free thinking, and for acquiring the knowledge and willingness required to take on responsibility, work, respect the law, and value diversity, cooperation and solidarity with others. In Basra, the Governorate, Governorate Council and other institutions are committed to providing a place at school for every child and student – including, for the first time, schools that are built to meet all health and psychological needs, offer advanced approaches, and secure a learning environment that is attractive to learners.

Successful improvement of education services at the various stages of education also, importantly, requires equitable distribution of education services throughout the governorate, as well as public awareness – especially among parents – of importance of education and parents’ obligations and responsibilities in this regard. Efforts should also focus on facilitating a competitive environment for non-government education provision. Thus, the first steps to improved education sector in Basra are (1) increasing the competency and availability of teaching staff, and (2) improving the quality of education service provision.

Specific objectives:

In light of the critical financial conditions in Iraq, and given the continuous increase in school enrolment and the school building deficit, the specific objectives for developing the education sector are as follows:

. Specific objective 1: Continued provision of education services and closing of gaps . Specific objective 2: Improved school environment, quality of education, student participation, and human resource capacity.

The attainment of Specific objective 1 will contribute to the overcoming the lack of school buildings or their poor condition. Standards for the primary schools will be developed. The provision of basic public services in school areas will be planned and coordinated. The goal will contribute directly to the inclusion of a larger number of children in the education system and a reduction in the share of illiterates. The attainment of Specific objective 2 will provide for a school environment that attracts more children and young people to schools, incl. vocational schools. The need for teachers in specific subjects and in rural areas will be met, and the opportunity to apply modern training methods will be provided.

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Strategic objective 3: Developed social services to support socially disadvantaged groups Programme 12: Improve education quality and access Specific objective1: Continued provision of education services and closing of gaps Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Preparation of education  Identify priority school buildings to ensure educational and Study infrastructure development opportunities in areas where is no lack in public services. programme Elaborate an investment programme for works completion.  Identify possibilities to use the land of old security buildings to build educational complexes – to overcome the land shortage.  Study the opportunities to develop PPPs for building schools.  Identify needs for school equipment (furniture, software, etc.) 2 Research Development of standards  Develop standards for primary schools, such as a standard and Study for primary schools number of children per teacher or students per class, etc.). 3 Research Coordinating public service  Elaborate a programme for coordination of the provision of and Study provision in school areas basic public services in the area of schools (electricity, water, roads, waste collection, etc.) 4 Research Engaging the private sector  Develop a programme for outsourcing of schools maintenance and Study schools maintenance to the private sector. 5 Technical/ Investment programme for  Develop and implement an investment programme for school Investment school laboratories and health units building and providing special service officers in libraries building health units. 6 Technical/ Investment programme for  Develop and implement an investment programme for school Investment health units building laboratories and libraries building. 7 Technical/ Establishment of centres  Establish at technical schools maintenance workshops to repair Investment for school equipment furniture and school equipment, equipped with requisite repair equipment and supplies. 8 Awareness Encouraging community  Develop a plan and implement an initiative for volunteer initiatives in school participation of parents and/or teachers in school rehabilitation rehabilitation – with support from international humanitarian organisations. Specific objective 2: Improved school environment, quality of education, student participation, and human resource capacity Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Technical/ Programme for increased  Develop and implement a programme for increased Investment extracurricular activities at extracurricular activities at schools, such as sport tournaments, schools school trips, fests and exhibitions, painting of the walls and hallways with bright colours and attractive graphics, school garden. 2 Technical/ Introducing modern  Prepare schools – in terms of planning and equipment – for the Investment teaching methods, incl. IT implementation of modern teaching methods with help of information technologies. 3 Awareness Promoting the benefits of  Plan, organise and carry out an information campaign among education the population on the benefits of education. 4 Human Teacher development  Elaborate teacher development courses, incl. in particular in resources courses computer usage. 5 Human Administrative staff  Elaborate administrative staff development courses, incl. in resources development courses particular in assets management and administration. Human Programme for  Develop and implement a programme for recruitment of resources recruitment of teachers teachers, especially for primary education and boys schools. 6 Human Development of joint  In collaboration with universities, develop a joint programme for resources programme for teacher teacher training. training 7 Human Development of  Develop a programme to train teachers in rural areas – as part resources programme for teacher of effort to encourage students to remain in secondary training in rural areas education (reduce drop-out rate). 8 Awareness Promoting vocational  Plan, organise and carry out an awareness campaign with education among youth business support to attract young people to vocational schools.

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13. Programme 13: Improve higher education quality

Rationale

While they graduate the workforce with higher degrees in technical and academic fields, Higher Education (HE) institutions are responsible for graduating the leaders and innovators in all sectors of socio-economic life, as well as the educated workforce and experts who are able to lead and manage state institutions and public administrations toward sustainable, inclusive and equitable development of both Iraq and Basra. Further, targeted scientific and applied research as universities is uniquely positioned to support the formulation and implementation of policies and strategic development plans in the country. Finally, effective higher education provision is a prerequisite to investment and industry development, while it meets international standards and the requirements of the labour market.

Critical strategic issues: . Weak education outcomes and scientific research outputs . Lack of financial allocation to improve learning environments and for scientific research . Lack of effective data management and administrative and planning capacity, which promotes lacks/inefficiencies and prevents expansion.

Vision

Reaching top positions in Iraq and the region for the higher education through the training of qualified staff who meet the needs of the current and future society towards sustainable economic and social development

General principles for developing the higher education sector: . Develop qualified cadres in different academic and technical specialisations that meet the social and labour market requirements; . Provide the academic, psychological and social environment that supports creativity, excellence, innovation and talent development; . Provide students with appropriate skills to use technology in their fields of specialisation; . Encourage scientific research and raise its level, especially regarding applied research that serves society and development; . Build a technical scientific nucleus capable of innovation and creativity; . Integrate the concept of citizenship in the education process – to help move away from radicalism; . Establish institutional links of HE institutions with the public and private sectors – so that the development of these sectors may benefit from the qualified capacities in HE institutions through consulting services and applied research; . Develop technical and scientific cooperation in the field of higher education and scientific research with international organisations and institutions – by e.g. bringing in international faculty for new/specialised courses – to keep abreast with contemporary global trends in higher education and research.

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Efficient and competitive education outcomes and infrastructure . Specific objective 2: Level of scientific and applied research raised . Specific objective 3: Support to implementation of e-Government programme.

Attainment of Specific objective 1 will contribute to improving the education outcomes and the educational infrastructure (learning environment). Specific objective 2 is aimed at improving the quality of research – specifically, at developing applied research. Specific objective 3 responds to the need for better data management, administrative and planning capacity (and thereby higher efficiency) in HE administration (and public administration as a whole).

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Strategic objective 1: Developed social services to support socially disadvantaged groups Programme 13: Improve higher education quality Specific objective 1: Efficient and competitive education outcomes and infrastructure Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Improving the quality of  Develop quality training programmes for students and and Study training programmes at graduates of local institutions in the public sector based on best local public sector practice, performance indicators, processes and outcomes. institutions 2 Research Boosting innovation and  Provide access to students and faculty to research laboratories and Study initiative and projects, including through information technology (IT).  Expand options for students and faculty to access and use IT for study and research purposes. 3 Technical/ Enhance opportunities for  Facilitate and encourage private sector participation in (the Investment private sector participation development of) the education process, including through improving the environment for private sector participation.  Develop relevant practical skills training for staff. 4 Technical/ Development of education  Reorganization of the buildings, spaces and services Investment infrastructure  Providing adequate buildings for the implementation of administrative and educational processes Specific objective 2: Level of scientific and applied research raised Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Identification of sector  In cooperation with public and non-government stakeholders, and Study problems and solutions develop a programme for overcoming the main gaps in the sector, incl. the need of lecturers 2 Technical/ Identification of relevant  Work with global publishing programmes to identify relevant Investment scientific and applied scientific and applied research fields. research 3 Technical/ Establishing centres of  Determine the centres and establish new centres of study and Investment excellence at Basra research within Basra University that are linked to the University comprehensive development strategy for Basra Governorate. Specific objective 3: Support to implementation of e-Government programme Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Human Development of local  The development of local cadres supported to facilitate e- Resources cadres to support e- Government programme implementation. Government programme implementation 2 Technical/ Automation of data and  Purchase equipment and train staff as required for automated Investment information data processing. 3 Human Development of  To development of administrative and planning capacity of Resources administrative and university staff planning capacity

14. Programme 14: Strengthen good governance

Rationale

“Good governance” refers to the “competence and responsibility in the management of government institutions (public administration) to respond to the needs and development of societies through decision-making” (UNDP). . The UNDP articulates nine attributes of good governance grouped in five broad principles: participation and consensus-orientation (legitimacy and voice); strategic vision (direction); responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness (performance); accountability and transparency (accountability); equity and rule of law (fairness). inclusion, rule of law, transparency, response, guidance towards consensus building, equity, efficiency, accountability, and strategic vision.39 “Legitimacy and voice” and “fairness” correspond directly to UN principles of human rights.

39 UNDP (1997), Governance and Sustainable Human Development.

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. According to the World Bank, good governance involves six aspects: voice and accountability; political stability and the absence of violence; government effectiveness; regulatory quality; rule of law; and control of corruption.

Good governance is seen as essential for the realisation of all human rights, including the elimination of poverty.40 The implementation of the principles of good governance directly affects development, stimulating investment and private sector development. While governance contributes to the formulation and implementation of policies, the absence of good governance is not limited to negative effects on public sector performance, but rather, it also undermines the existence of sound business environment and attractive investment climate.

Critical strategic issues:

While Basra Governorate is currently undergoing a decentralisation process, good governance has emerged as a distinct horizontal priority area. Indeed, almost all other priority areas (discussed above) present critical strategic issues related to good governance, namely: . Improving the performance of the administration, in terms of both (1) the division of functions between central and local government, and (2) the improvement of legislation; . Improving the main elements of public governance – development of strategic and operational plans of departments, budgeting, effective and efficient management of human, technical and financial resources; . Fostering a culture of human rights protection.

Vision

Strong, efficient and transparent government institutions that contribute directly to achieving all development goals of the governorate.

Specific objectives: . Specific objective 1: Administrative reform and institutional development of local government . Specific objective 2: Integrity, transparency and accountability promoted . Specific objective 3: Rule of law and a culture of human rights protection established.

Attainment of Specific objective 1 will contribute to improving the performance of the administration and the main elements of public governance. Specific objective 2 is entirely aimed at promoting integrity, transparency and accountability as basic principles of good governance. Specific objective 3 responds to the need to spread a culture of human rights protection.

Strategic objective 4: Good governance Programme 14: Strengthen good governance Specific objective1: Administrative reform and institutional development of local government Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Research Functional review  Perform functional review of the administrative structures of local and study of the government to identify the needs for change in its organisational administrative structure – to allow better allocation of functions and provision of structures of local necessary resources. government  Establish a committee for periodic monitoring of the state of and need for change in the administrative structures of local government – comprised of representatives of Basra Governorate (Directorate of Financial and Administrative Affairs), University of Basra and experts. 2 Legislation Elaboration of  Elaborate changes to existing legislation as necessary to allow the changes to existing required changes in the organisational structure of local government. legislation

40 UN CESCR (1999), General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food (Art. 11).

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3 Research Implementation of  Develop and implement a performance measurement system based on and study performance establishing links between goals set and their achievement by measurement administrations (institutional level) and staff (individual level). system  Develop job descriptions for staff that reflect administrative functions.  Develop annual HR plans that reflect administrative goals.  Develop a system of criteria for objective evaluation of staff performance. 4 Human Increasing staff  Build a system for employee motivation based on employee resources motivation performance, including bonuses, opportunities for additional training, position rotation, etc. 5 Human Building HR  Elaborate annual staff training plans that reflect administrative and resources capacity through individual needs, in cooperation with Basra Training Centre of the training MoHCM and other bodies.  Prepare a Memorandum of Understanding with Basra University to implement workshops, training courses and specialised continuing education for staff of government departments.  Organise and conduct training courses and seminars for staff on the basis of the annual training plans. 6 Technical/ Establishing  Carry out a study and analysis of the opportunities and steps needed to investment governorate e- build an electronic government in the Governorate. Determine the government services to be made available electronically at the initial stage.  Build information registers for the needs of e-Government. Specific objective 2: Integrity, transparency and accountability promoted Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Legislation Access to public  Draft local legislation (rules and bylaws) that regulates the disclosure by information the local government of information and data of interest to citizens – to raise the level of transparency in government work. 2 Legislation Citizen  Elaborate local legislation to regulate the civil participation in and civil participation in control over the decision-making process. decision making  Formulate a concept for the management and facilitation of public consultations. 3 Awareness Promoting a  Develop and implement information campaign to promote a culture of culture of integrity integrity and transparency of governance. and transparency Specific objective 3: Rule of law and a culture of human rights protection established Activity Project type Project name Short description 1 Awareness Promoting human  Develop and implement information campaign aimed to disseminate rights and public among society a culture and practices that promote human rights and property help preserve public property. preservation among society 2 Awareness Promoting human  Develop and organise seminars and information campaigns for security rights in the work agency representatives to promote respect for human rights in the of security agencies implementation of their duties. 3 Awareness Promoting the rule  In cooperation with tribal and religious community leaders, develop and of law among tribal implement seminars and information campaigns to promote respect for and religious the rule of law. communities

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IX. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PDS

1. Implementing structures

This PDS is going to be implemented through Basra Provincial Government departments led by the Planning Department of the Governorate. The Steering Committee responsible for the planning process will be dissolved, and an Implementing Board will be established with the purpose to take responsibility for implementation, monitoring and updating of the Strategy. Along the way, some specific activities (such as monitoring) will be designated to Committees with specific responsibilities (e.g. Monitoring Committee).

In case Basra Governorate decide to use an implementation structure as suggested in the “Guidelines for Strategic Planning for Local Authorities in Iraq,” the Governor and respective departments will take action regarding the establishment of an economic development entity (e.g. “Strategic Development Organisation”).

2. Monitoring and evaluation

There are three levels of monitoring and evaluation. At levels 1 and 2, the focus is on the recommended interventions and the results of their implementation; at level 3, the focus is on updating the PDS. 4. Level-1 monitoring asks “Is the intervention being implemented as recommended in the PDS?” A comparison of what has occurred with what was set forth in the Summary Action Plan (SAP) for the respective intervention answers this question. Level-1 monitoring considers the details of implementation, the actions taken – or not taken – to implement the recommended intervention. 5. Level-2 monitoring asks “Is the intervention producing the outcomes that lead to achieving the expected results, project purpose and goal?” The performance indicators listed in the second column of the Log Frame Planning Matrix answer this question. Level-2 monitoring assesses the achievement of the expected results, project purpose and goal (i.e. the intended outputs, outcomes and impact of the intervention), as they link the intervention to the PDS vision. 6. Level-3 monitoring asks “Has the environment changed in ways that affect the choice of critical issues, interventions, and implementing entities in the PDS?” The answer uses information generated by the first two levels of monitoring, an update of the economic scan, and an organisational review of the implementing entities. Level-3 monitoring updates the PDS and indicates when the situation has changed so significantly, that it is time either to refresh the PDS or to repeat the full planning process.

Responsibility for monitoring and updating of the PDS will rest with the Provincial Government, part or all of the PDS Task Force, but it could also be designated to another entity (e.g. local economic development agency). The term “monitoring group” is used here to encompass any of the possible configurations. Ideally, the monitoring group will include representatives from the local government, the business community, the non-governmental sector, other actors relevant to the PDS implementation, and certainly, leadership from local economic development entities. The monitoring group may act as a whole or establish subcommittee(s) to deal with specific issues.

Monitoring and evaluation/updating are essential components of strategic planning. However, these processes cannot be as tightly specified as the PDS preparation process, because the monitoring process will vary depending on the PDS recommendations for each locality and on the progress made in their implementation. Monitoring occurs over time and it has to respond to an ever-changing situation.

3. Financial resources

Financial resources for implementation of the PRP will be diversified and sought at the national, local and international level. Nationally, the Governorate will present capital investment projects to the respective ministries and negotiate the implementation of programmes. Locally, the implementation of PPPs (Public Private Partnerships) requires to ensure that local-level legislation encourages and remove obstacles to private initiative. Internationally, the Governorate will seek both foreign investment and the assistance of foreign governments in development and humanitarian areas.

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SOURCES

Statistical sources:

. Basra Agricultural Department data . Basra Department of Education data . Basra Governorate Statistical Directorate . Basra Governorate sector reports . COSIT . Ministry of Planning annual statistics . World Bank, World Development Indicators database

Main cited and consulted analyses/studies:

. Alzobaidee, H. (Institute of Development Studies/WFP – Dec 2015), Social Protection and Safety Nets in Iraq: http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/SocialprotectionandsafetynetsinIraq.pdf. . Basra Governorate sector reports and development plans. . NGO Coordination Committee for Iraq (NCCI) (Dec 2015), Basra Governorate Profile: https://www.ncciraq.org/images/infobygov/NCCI_Basra_Governorate_Profile.pdf . IOM (31 Oct 2017), DTM Round 82: http://iraqdtm.iom.int/default.aspx; http://iraqdtm.iom.int/DtmReports.aspx. . IOM (Oct 2017), Integrated Location Assessment II Report: http://iraqdtm.iom.int/Downloads/DTM%20Special%20Reports/DTM%20Integrated%20Location%20Assess ment%20II/ILA%20II_PART2%20Governorate%20Profiles.pdf. . Structure plan of Basra Governorate (2013). . UNDP (2014), Iraq Human Development Report 2014: http://www.iq.undp.org/content/dam/iraq/img/Publications/UNDP-IQ_IraqNHDR2014-English.pdf. . UNDP/UN-Habitat (22 Nov 2016), LADP Strategic Urban Development Framework for Governorates in Iraq: Indicator Technical Brief. . World Bank (2016), Doing business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All – Iraq: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/168391478509657720/Doing-business-2017-equal-opportunity- for-all-Iraq. . World Bank (2017), “The World Bank in Iraq: Overview,” updated 01 Apr 2017: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview. . World Bank (03 Feb 2017), Iraq: Systematic Country Diagnostic (Report No. 112333–IQ): http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/542811487277729890/pdf/IRAQ-SCD-FINAL-cleared- 02132017.pdf.

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