Construction resumes on Bawanur Dam in Garmian’s Pebaz sub-district

SULAYMANIYAH — Construction work on the Bawanur Dam in Garmian’s Pebaz sub-district has resumed, and local officials expressed optimism that the project will now reach completion without further delays.

Adnan Ali, head of Pebaz sub-district, told 964media, “Yesterday, work resumed on the dam. It was initially expected to be completed by 2018, but the economic conditions in the Kurdistan Region caused the work to halt.”

The dam, under construction on the Sirwan River, is designed to hold 30 million cubic meters of water. Construction on the project began in 2013, but only 13% of the work has been completed to date.

“We are hopeful that this time the work will not stop and the dam will be completed because it will benefit the entirety of Garmian autonomous administration,” Ali added.

The resumption of construction follows updated plans. “Once completed, the dam will produce 35 megawatts of electricity, irrigate vast agricultural lands, and revive the fishing industry in the area.”

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been actively developing its water infrastructure to enhance water security, support agriculture, and generate hydroelectric power. The region has completed 23 dams, with 11 more under construction—totaling 34 large, medium, and small dams.

Notable among these projects is the Dukan Dam, constructed between 1954 and 1959 on the Little Zab River. It serves multiple purposes, including water storage, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation, with a capacity of 400 MW. Another major project is the Darbandikhan Dam on the Sirwan River, completed in 1961, which provides irrigation, flood control and houses a 249 MW hydroelectric power station.