Communication assignment in Kurdistan, Iraq
The Ministry of Municipalities of the Kurdish Regional Government has launched the project to improve the water distribution system in Erbil, which will take many years. For a long time the system has been built without co-ordination and control, and the Directorate of Water lack possibilities to an efficient maintenance. Due to poor pressure in the water distribution system coupled with a lack of a sewerage there is a risk of contaminated drinking water. Erbil do suffer from serious water-born diseases and from occasional outbursts of cholera. Access to clean water is therefore vital for the population in Erbil.
To modernize the entire water network in Erbil, with a population of one million inhabitants, is not viable in the short term. Therefore the programme focuses on modernizing one area of the city, Kwestan, and make it a model area in water distribution. The goal is that the Kwestan model would be copied by other areas in Erbil and Kurdistan.
The great majority of the Erbil population use water without considering that it is a non-renewable resourse. Creating awareness among the citizens on how to treat water and use less of it is a critical issue for a sustainable growth in Erbil.
The planned changes, among them installation of water meters and disturbances in the water network due to improvement, could be met with suspicion unless the information to the customers is clear, correct and targeted at the users. In order to assure the success of the project comprehensive and well designed communication inputs are necessary.
Another substantial part of the project is dedicated to training of civil servants in water management and operation & maintenance of the water system. There will also be training on customer care, how to communicate with citizens, media and other authorities.
The project also includes training of journalists on how to cover water issues and government matters as well as activities aiming at improving relations between journalists and government officials.