Baghdad, 17 August 2023 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and German Government’s KfW Development Bank officially handed over the rehabilitated Jubail stormwater lift station in Fallujah to the Anbar governorate.

The lift station is part of the six German-funded UNDP projects in Fallujah to improve sewage and rainwater management and sanitation in Al-Khadraa neighborhood which has over 200,000 residents. It also includes the rehabilitation of three drainage zones of the Jubail sewage networks, completed in April this year, as well as the rehabilitation of the 11-kilovolt underground feeder completed in June.

Restoring critical infrastructure

During the battle to recapture Fallujah from ISIL, critical infrastructure, such as  water and sewage treatment systems were severely damaged, increasing public health risks in already vulnerable communities. In Al-Khadraa, communities resorted to using individual septic tanks, resulting in untreated sewage often seeping onto streets and storm drains that discharged into the Euphrates River, posing an environmental risk, potentially affecting the health of thousands of people.

“The rehabilitation of the Al-Jubail stormwater networks and lift station in Fallujah is an essential component of UNDP's comprehensive efforts to restore water and sewage infrastructure in the region to ensure water quality and health safety for the Iraqi people,” says UNDP Iraq Resident Representative Auke Lootsma.

As of July 2023, UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilization has completed 297 water projects and 117 sewage systems, serving over 5 million Iraqis across the liberated governorates of Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salah Al-Din.

“Through the generous support of our steadfast partners, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and KfW Development Bank, we are restoring Iraq's waterways, reducing water pollution, protecting people from flooding,  and safeguarding vital water resources,” adds Mr. Lootsma.

"Water is life - and sound water infrastructure is essential for improving livelihoods and perspectives of Iraq's future generations. The successful implementation of this project echoes our shared commitment to support Iraq in the stabilization of areas affected by the conflict," says Dr. Maximilian Rasch, Chargé d'Affaires at the German Embassy in Baghdad.

"We are very pleased to see the positive impact this partnership brings to Fallujah and its communities - together  we find solutions to complex environmental and climate issues, as well as decreasing threats to public health that can come from contaminated water sources” says Dr. Anna-Christine Janke, Country Director of the KfW Office Iraq.

“We thank UNDP and Germany for its continued support for the people of Iraq. The completion of the Al-Jubail networks and lift station will help reduce health risks associated with waterborne diseases and water contamination, mitigate environmental concerns, and ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for the people in the area,” says Deputy Governor of Anbar, Jassim Muhammad Al-Assel.

“The Jubail plant, which specializes in rainwater drainage, serves the neighborhoods of the south of the city of Fallujah. Its design capacity is 25,000 cubic meters per hour and distributed over 12 large pumping crews. This capacity makes it the largest rainwater drainage station in Anbar,” says Fallujah Sewerage Manager, Ayoub Farhan.

A second phase of the rehabilitation of the Jubail stormwater lift station is being carried out by UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilization and is expected to be completed in September. It is also funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) provided through the KfW Development Bank. Additionally, they have funded over 280 stabilization projects, which include housing, livelihoods, schools, health facilities, water and electrical networks, and municipal buildings, benefitting 2.5 million people. 

Editor's note:

Link: Photos of rehabilitated Jubail stormwater networks and lift station

For media inquiries and more information, please contact:

Christine Cool

Team Lead, UNDP Iraq Strategic Partnerships, Advocacy, and Communications 

christine.cool@undp.org  |   +9647834899817