Public Notice

Conversion of the Open Irrigation Channel in Towai irrigation pump station to a Closed System – Public Comments Invited

October 24th, 2025 – Global Affairs Canada must determine whether the proposed Conversion of Open Irrigation Channels to a Closed System, located in Anbar, Ramadi District, Jazirat Al-Ramadi, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Global Affairs Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted November 24^th, 2025 to:

Environment Specialists 

Global Affairs Canada 

200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau (QC) J8X 4B7

Email: CommentsIAARegistry-CommentairesRegistreLEI@international.gc.ca

 

The Proposed Project

The proposed initiative involves the conversion of a structurally damaged section of the Towai irrigation canal into a closed steel pipeline system. Approximately 350 meters downstream of the Towai Pump Station will be replaced with an 800 mm diameter, 10 mm thickness steel pipeline. The works include:

• Excavation and trench preparation.
• Welding and jointing of steel pipeline.
• Construction of a 7 × 7 m reinforced concrete valve chamber at the pump outlet.
• Installation of thrust blocks and anchor structures.
• Use of blinding concrete (C10) and structural reinforced concrete (C25) for foundations and chamber walls.
• Construction of a reinforced transition/energy-dissipation structure into the lined canal.
• Backfilling, compaction, hydrostatic testing, welding inspection, and commissioning.

The initiative is being undertaken under the FEMINACT Project (Feminist Solutions to Climate Change-Driven Food Insecurity in Iraq – P012604), funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Oxfam in partnership with Action Against Hunger (ACF) and the Directorate of Water Resources (DoWR) – Anbar.

The project will improve water efficiency by reducing seepage and evaporation losses, eliminate swamp formation caused by leakage, protect farmland and nearby households from waterlogging, and reduce mosquito-borne public health risks. The irrigated command area covers approximately 2,500 donums of farmland (250 Ha).

Site and Environmental Setting

• Governorate: Anbar
• District: Ramadi – Jazirat Al-Ramadi
• Environment: Semi-arid climate, average rainfall 115–150 mm/year, summer temperatures often exceed 45°C. The canal draws from the Euphrates River, supporting cereal and vegetable production. Current damage has caused swamp formation, farmland erosion, mosquito breeding, and damage to rural roads.

• Geographic coordinates

   

  Name	Location	GPS Coordinates Format
  Towei Irrigation pump station and Canal	Anbar Governorate, Ramadi District, Jazirat Al-Ramadi	33°28′53.9″ N 43°12′19.8″ E (33.48164, 43.20551)
  Canal Connection Point	Anbar Governorate, Ramadi District, Jazirat Al-Ramadi	33°28′35.0″ N 43°12′10.0″ E (33.47638, 43.20277)