Preparations by Erbil Governorate and UNDP Continue for the Implementation of a Zone in the Erbil Green Belt Project

Today, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Omed Khoshnaw, the Governor of Erbil, welcomed Kennedy, the Head of the UNDP Erbil Office, at the Governorate's office. The meeting was attended by Bayan Sami Abdulrahman, representative of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region.
During the meeting, the Governor of Erbil praised the efforts and work of the UNDP, thanking them for their coordination and partnership with the Erbil Governorate and wishing them success.

For his part, the Head of the UNDP Erbil Office thanked the Governor of Erbil and highly valued his continuous support, coordination, and cooperation with their organization.
Subsequently, in a meeting attended by Hemin Qadir and Masoud Karash, Deputy Governors; Hemin Said Murad, Director-General of Agriculture of Erbil; Mariwan Hadi, Director-General of Erbil Municipalities; Shukriya Abbas, Director of Urban Planning of Erbil; Rebwar Kakayee, Director of Irrigation; Dilshad Hirani, Director of Environment of Erbil; and Naz Jalal, Director of the Governorate's Crisis Management, a report was presented. The report, prepared by the joint committee of relevant departments, was shown via a data projector and detailed the maps, designs, and specifics of the project's 8 zones. This important and strategic project was approved under the directive and guidance of the Honorable Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, as part of the Erbil City Master Plan to mitigate the effects of climate change.

To ensure further follow-up, clarity, and the drafting of a joint plan for starting work on one of the project's zones, both sides decided to expand the aforementioned committee. The committee will conduct a more detailed study of the budget and cost for the specific zone that will be implemented by the UNDP.
For this purpose, the Head of the UNDP Erbil Office reaffirmed their organization's readiness to implement one zone of the Erbil Green Belt project.

In return, the Governor of Erbil expressed his appreciation for the UNDP's coordination and partnership with the Erbil Governorate. He wished them success in their partnership to implement one of the project's zones and expressed his full support, cooperation, and coordination in this regard.
Notably, the Erbil Green Belt is a major strategic project for the capital city. It will form a circular belt around Erbil, located just beyond the 150-meter ring road, with a width of 2 kilometers. The project includes the creation of more than 10 ponds and plans to plant olive and pistachio trees. The objectives of the project, besides increasing green spaces, protecting the environment, and mitigating the effects of climate change, include preserving agricultural land from being used for non-agricultural purposes like investment and residential projects.