Government and UN Agencies Unite to Address Tanjaro River Pollution

A high-level workshop has brought together Iraqi government officials, UN agencies and private sector representatives in the North-Eastern city of Sulaymaniyah as part of a renewed push to address pollution in the Tanjaro river, one of the region’s most pressing environmental concerns.

The event was organised by the Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and forms part of broader efforts to strengthen coordinated responses to Iraq’s extensive environmental and water challenges.

For communities throughout Sulaymaniyah, the Tanjaro river plays a vital role in everyday life. It supports irrigation for nearby farmland and is used extensively by local industries. As contamination levels have increased, however, these uses have come under strain, with growing concerns about the impact on water quality, agriculture and subsequently public health.

At the meeting, senior representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government joined officials from multiple UN agencies, including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organisation (WHO), alongside various private sector stakeholders.

The workshop builds on ongoing cooperation between Iraqi authorities and UN partners which has recently improved understanding of the pollution levels in the Tanjaro river. A proposed “master plan” has been circulated among stakeholders, with this latest meeting viewed as a key step toward turning these plans into coordinated action.

Opening the workshop, Minister of Environment, Dr. Hallo Al-Askari, said addressing pollution in the Tanjaro River is a “national priority,” adding that “we are working to strengthen coordination between government institutions, international partners and the private sector to protect our water resources and deliver sustainable solutions that safeguard both the environment and the well-being of our communities.”

These sentiments were echoed by the UN’s resident coordinator in Iraq, Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai, who highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration and the UN’s role in supporting Iraq’s environmental agenda. “The United Nations is committed to supporting Iraq in addressing complex environmental challenges through coordinated and integrated approaches. By bringing together international expertise and partnerships, we can support sustainable solutions that respond to Iraq’s development priorities,” he said.

The FAO’s representative in Iraq, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, stressed the importance of “science-based” solutions to Iraq’s environmental issues. “Addressing Tanjaro River pollution is critical to protect ecosystems, livelihoods, and food security,” he said.

As part of the workshop, participants reviewed findings on pollution levels and explored practical measures to address issues in both the short and long term. Key priorities included strengthening pollution control and enforcement, improving waste management systems and enhancing coordination between various institutions.

A 2025 study published in the International Journal of Social Science and Research Studies ascertained that industrial waste discharge, sewage dumping and agricultural runoffs has resulted in “overwhelming” levels of heavy metals and chemical contaminants in the Tanjaro. This, the study found, has had a devastating impact on the aquatic ecosystem and rendered the river’s water unsuitable for drinking or agricultural use.

Workshops such as this are therefore vital in ensuring that institutions, both international and within Iraq, can ensure they are working in lockstep, combining their efforts efficiently to reverse decades of environmental degradation.

Source: United Nations Iraq