Second Scientific Symposium – 2009

Symposium Date: April 6, 2009

Symposium Slogan:
“Disasters and Their Management”

Preparatory Committee:

  1. Prof. Salim Qasim Al‑Naqeeb — Chairperson
    (Director of the Center)
  2. Dr. Nabeel Hameed Al‑Sayegh — Member
    (Head of Dams & Geotechnical Department)
  3. Dr. Adel Ali Bilal — Member
    (Head of Water Resources Department)
  4. Dr. Qutaiba Tawfiq Al‑Yuzbakey — Member
  5. Dr. Khalil Ibrahim Othman — Member
  6. Ms. Nidal Abdul‑Hadi Saleh — Secretary

Symposium Topics:
The symposium highlighted disasters—their types and lifecycle—through these themes:

  1. Disasters and their categories
  2. Anticipated disasters in Iraq and diagnostic methods
  3. Preparedness for facing disasters
  4. Disaster response and management
  5. Post‑disaster procedures

Objectives:
The symposium aimed to underscore the importance of studying hazards—which can escalate into catastrophic disasters or crippling crises—and to recognize that Iraq is not immune. Damage from any disaster, God forbid, could be severe due to lack of knowledge or unpreparedness. By classifying different hazards, understanding when a natural event becomes dangerous, and identifying how risks convert into disasters or crises, we can take precautions and measures to reduce human and material losses. Success requires coordinated effort among all state bodies, as well as community and individual engagement.

Participating Research Papers:

  1. Dam Failure Disasters and Risk Management
    Asst. Prof. Thair Mahmood Al‑Taiee
    Center for Dams & Water Resources Research, University of Mosul
  2. Saving Planet Earth: Global Environmental Status—Reality and Hopes
    Asst. Prof. Suad Abdul‑Abawi
    Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Mosul
  3. Environmental Threats and Their Assessment Methods: Local Examples
    Asst. Prof. Dr. Sahar Abdul Qasim¹,
    Asst. Prof. Dr. Hikmat Sobhi Al‑Daghastani²,
    Prof. Dr. Salim Mahmoud Al‑Dabbagh³
    ¹,³ Department of Earth Sciences, College of Science, University of Mosul
    ² Remote Sensing Center, University of Mosul
  4. Dam Incidents and Failures Due to Deliberate Sabotage
    Eng. Abdul‑Khaliq Dhanoon Ayoub
    Mosul Dam Project Manager
  5. Land Subsidence Resulting from Groundwater Extraction
    Dr. Abdul‑Wahab Ahmed Ali
    Directorate General of Dams & Reservoirs
  6. Soil as a Natural and Vital Resource: Protection from Degradation
    Huda Hashim Badr & Yusra Taha Abdul‑Baqi
    Center for Dams & Water Resources Research, University of Mosul
  7. The Ilısu Dam
    Eng. Salim Qasim Al‑Naqeeb¹,
    Prof. Dr. Muadh Hamid Mustafa²,
    Asst. Prof. Abdulmuhsin Shihab³
    ¹ Director, Center for Dams & Water Resources Research, University of Mosul
    ² Dean, College of Environmental Sciences & Technology, University of Mosul
    ³ Center for Environmental Research & Pollution Control, University of Mosul
  8. Management
    Asst. Prof. Dr. Qutaiba Tawfiq Al‑Yuzbakey
    Center for Dams & Water Resources Research, University of Mosul

Recommendations:

  • The Ministry of Environment should monitor Tigris water quality in the province—working with the Ministries of Health, Higher Education, and Water Resources—to identify causes of deterioration, remediate damage, and hold violators accountable.
  • The Ministry of Water Resources must finalize water‑sharing agreements (quantity and quality) under international law, serving the common interests of riparian states.
  • Authorities should maintain and restore Mosul’s heritage landmarks—especially the Al‑Hadba Minaret and historic houses—to preserve them.
  • Form interagency committees to identify natural and technical hazards, develop response plans, and train supervisory, operational, and volunteer personnel in each specialty.
  • Mandate public‑awareness programs on disaster types and response methods via print, broadcast, and visual media—led by media, education, and higher‑education institutions.
  • Strengthen monitoring of major infrastructure (dams, refineries, petrochemical plants, the Mishraq sulfur and phosphate facilities, etc.) to anticipate potential disaster risks.
  • Create a provincial database of expected natural and technical hazards (including environmental pollution), organizing data for easy use in disaster‑management planning.
  • Instruct the Nineveh Provincial Council to assess the risk of sudden technical failures at Mosul Dam that could cause unexpected flooding, by forming a technical committee from Civil Defense, the Water Resources Directorate, the University of Mosul’s Center for Dams & Water Resources Research, and relevant Interior Ministry bodies.
  • Identify pollution sources that could trigger environmental disasters impacting surface and groundwater and built environments, and in particular:
    1. Ban untreated discharge of domestic and industrial solid waste into rivers—requiring treatment to internationally approved standards.
    2. Supervise sanitary landfills to prevent leachate from contaminating aquifers.
    3. Plan future industrial sites (e.g., cement plants, industrial zones) downwind of residential areas to avoid air‑pollution impacts.
  • Propose establishing a Ministry of Disaster Management tasked with preparing for potential disasters—natural or man‑made—and mitigating ongoing disaster effects.