ASCE-EWRI Seeks to Support Iraqi Technical Capacity Rebuilding
EWRI of ASCE and the ASCE International Activities Committee (IAC) are collaborating to develop a strategy to assist Iraqi engineers in re-building their technical capacity. As the Iraqi engineering and technical community begins to address the various technical issues associated with re-building its infrastructure, EWRI of ASCE is well positioned to assist them with the many water resources and environmental challenges, and in particular with issues associated with the Tigris-Euphrates River Basin.
During a July 2nd meeting with Dr. Latif Rashid, the Iraq Minister of Water Resources, and Dr. Rend Franke, Iraq Ambassador to the US, Andrea Merla of the Global Environment Facility and Dahlia Lotayes of World Bank, the Minister identified some of the significant water related issues facing Iraq - the complicated issues associated with developing international trans-boundary water agreements with its neighbors Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Kuwait; river water quality and sedimentation concerns; development of expertise in hydraulic modeling; the need for data gathering and gauging stations; sustainable marshland restoration; fish protection; and a shortage of technically trained staff. The meeting was held in Washington, D.C. at the USAID offices in the Ronald Reagan Building.
The recently adopted ASCE Policy Statement 506 - "Capacity Building", commits ASCE to championing the building of local engineering capability in the developing world. ASCE with its Technical Divisions, Institutes, members, committees and councils representing all aspects of civil engineering, is in a unique position to assist developing countries build a vibrant, effective local engineering capability through workshops, curriculum, conferences, information exchange, technical visits, web-seminars, publications and peer review panels. Capacity building is consistent with the ASCE strategic plan, and its objective of advancing the profession of engineering. It enhances the welfare of humanity and supports the ASCE vision of building a better quality of life. The international application of engineering principles and expertise through the Institutes, technical divisions and other programmatic elements of the Society will serve engineering worldwide as well as benefit the broader world community.
One example of what EWRI could do to support re-building Iraqi Capacity would be through its Council and Committee structure where EWRI members could develop and present "webinars" on topics of interest in Iraq. ASCE has already conducted one "webinar" with Iraqi engineers and is in the midst of planning topics such as "Assessment of War Damaged Structures", "Modern Developments in Traffic Engineering", "Modern Developments in Geodesy", and "Water Quality, Sewage Treatment and Solid Waste Management". EWRI is also considering developing a mechanism for retired engineers to donate their libraries to the Iraqi engineering community.
Before becoming Iraq's Minister of Construction and Housing, Dr. Omar al-Faruq Salim al-Damluji helped to establish the ASCE international chapter in Baghdad by asking 33 Iraqi engineers present at one of the "webinars", four of which were women, to vote on deciding to become an ASCE Chapter. The group decided (23 to 10) in favor of becoming an International Chapter of ASCE and Dr. Omar served as Chair.
At the recently held EWRI Congress in Salt Lake City Utah, Jerry W. Webb, P.E., US Army Corps of Engineers Principal Hydrologic and Hydraulic Engineer, briefed the attendees on the "Challenges/Status of Water Issues in Iraq". Consistent with the issues outlined by Dr. Latif, Jerry Webb identified Iraq's need for a water resources master plan including a national water demand /allocation plan and water availability assessment as key challenges. He also indicated the inevitable need for Iraq to address trans-boundary water quantity and quality issues with bordering nations - Turkey, Syria, and Iran - as well as Iraq's own need to address water conservation, and efficient management through modeling and optimization. Jerry Webb served from September 2003 through March 2004 as the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources in Baghdad, Iraq.
EWRI has developed sessions that will be presented at the upcoming ASCE Annual Conference, scheduled to be held October 20-23 in Baltimore. The EWRI sessions will feature "World Wetland Restoration Projects" and were organized by EWRI GB Member Kyle Schilling. He is "seeking to have EWRI technical experts participate in the Baltimore sessions" and believes that "EWRI members, particularly those with expertise in watershed management and wetland restoration can offer perspectives on major wetland restoration projects that could be applicable to the Mesopotamian Marshes."
Three Wetlands Sessions will be conducted:
These activities build upon a beginning dialogue, co-chaired by Kyle Schilling of EWRI and IAC Chair Hank Hatch, held on April 15th at the National Academy of Engineering and attended by representatives from engineering professional societies, such as ASCE, USAID, the World Bank, GEF, State Department, USACE, UNEP and others. ASCE's IAC and EWRI, and are presently developing a short paper on the role that engineering professional societies such as ASCE can play in supporting nations facing technical capacity building. While specific projects have not yet been identified the dialogue continues, and ASCE and EWRI remain eager to avail the membership of the opportunity to share its technical expertise.