Bawanur Dam to Become the Third-Largest Power-Generating Dam in the Kurdistan Region

The Bawanur Dam Project is one of the most important and strategic initiatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), built using local expertise and labour.

Bawanur Dam is an earthfill dam with a total length of 880 metres, a height of 20 metres, and a crest width of 9 metres. The project costs IQD 245 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2028. With a generating capacity of 34 megawatts (MW), it will become the third-largest source of hydropower in the region, after the Dukan and Darbandikhan dams.

The completion of the Bawanur Dam will bring significant benefits to the citizens of the Garmian Self-Administration District, including:

- Protecting large areas of the Garmian District from the risk of desertification.
- Revitalising tens of thousands of donums of agricultural land.
- Strengthening water security, particularly within the Garmian District.
- Enhancing fish resources and supporting local fisheries.
- Generating and supplying 34 MW of electricity to the national power grid.
- Storing up to 30 million cubic metres of water.
- Raising groundwater levels and improving water availability.
- Promoting the development of the tourism sector in the Garmian District.

The citizens of the Garmian District and neighbouring areas have expressed great satisfaction with the Bawanur Dam project, recognising its wide-ranging benefits. Beyond supporting fisheries, the dam will provide reliable water storage, improve irrigation systems, and enable the transfer of water to other areas as needed.

Construction of the dam is currently underway, with work progressing rapidly. The project is expected to be completed in less than three years, ahead of schedule, and will soon serve the people of the Kurdistan Region.

 

Department of Media and Information