Rising water levels and flash floods during the rainy seasons of fall and winter have become a common occurrence in the Kurdistan Region in recent years, at times reaching disastrous levels and resulting in casualties and great damages.
Aras Jabbar, a climate expert, told Rudaw’s Soran Hussein on Sunday that the Region was facing a high possibility of flooding starting from late of October and early November.
“Our teams are on alert for any unwanted flood and water accumulation during fall,” Karwan Mirawdali, spokesperson for the Erbil civil defense told Rudaw, adding the municipalities are instructed in September of every year to start taking preventive measures against flash flooding.
Sulaimani’s civil defense has also taken the precautionary measures and has teams on alert for any possible floods, according to Spokesperson Aram Ali.
Halabja civil defense Spokesperson Zaniyar Omar said that, starting from this week, they will cooperate with the Halabja municipality and cleaning companies to clear the sewer systems and areas facing the possibility of water accumulation to mitigate the likelihood of flooding.
Duhok province has yet to start the preparations for the rainy season and the possibility of floods, according to Bewar Abdulaziz, the spokesperson for the civil defense.
The Kurdistan Region experienced a wave of deadly and destructive floods in late 2021 and early 2022, with the capital Erbil bearing the brunt of the heavy rainstorms. At least 826 families were affected by the floods, which killed twelve people, including a ten-month-old baby.
The Ministry of Municipality and Tourism at the time assessed the cost of damages caused by the second flood as more than 21 billion dinars (over $14 million).
