ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A strategic water project linking Dukan Lake to the rest of Sulaimani has entered the implementation phase, with land leveling and design work already underway and technical issues expected to be addressed within the next two months, an official told The New Region on Tuesday.

The Dukan-Sulaimani Line 3 project aims to end water shortages in the province by delivering around 480,000 cubic meters of water per day.

“The project is in the land leveling process, then the project’s design will be done, and within the next two months, other operations will begin,” Ari Ahmed, head of the Kurdistan Region’s water and sewage department, told The New Region on Tuesday.

The project is expected to address the province’s water shortages for the next 30 years.

The recent developments came after Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani decided to increase the budget allocated for the project from the initial amount of $293 million to $423 million, in order to accelerate the implementation process.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) ninth cabinet has strived to better manage water resources and secure clean water for its citizens amid an intense countrywide water shortage. It has launched numerous environmentally friendly projects in recent years to provide clean water to citizens and supported several green initiatives to protect the environment and boost afforestation.

In September, the Kurdish premier launched work on the Erbil Emergency Water Supply Project, which is considered the largest water project in the Kurdistan Region and could save Erbil from water scarcity for at least another 20 years.