Latest news with #EmpoweringSustainableLivelihoods
Iraq Business
23-05-2025
- General
- Iraq Business
Kulak Solar Village to Pioneer Off-Grid Renewable Living
By John Lee. Rwanga Foundation has unveiled plans for the Kulak Solar Village, Iraq's first fully off-grid, solar-powered community. Located southeast of Erbil, the pilot village will include 32 homes and house nearly 200 residents, serving as a model for rural climate resilience and energy self-sufficiency in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions. Entirely powered by solar energy, the community will feature 24/7 electricity, solar irrigation systems, and training in regenerative agriculture. The project responds to intensifying environmental pressures in Iraqi Kurdistan, including desertification and extreme temperatures exceeding 50°C. Idris Nechirvan Barzani, Founder and President of the Foundation, described the initiative as " a bold vision for a different future ," turning Iraq's environmental vulnerability into a platform for sustainable innovation. The village forms part of the Foundation's wider Green Kurdistan campaign, which has planted over 200,000 trees since 2020, and its Empowering Sustainable Livelihoods programme that supports cooperative farming and training. Rwanga aims to have the Kulak Solar Village fully operational by the end of 2025, with plans to replicate the model across Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030 in collaboration with regional authorities and international partners. (Source: Rwanga Foundation)
Shafaq News
14-04-2025
- General
- Shafaq News
Rwanga Foundation launches Iraq's first fully sustainable solar village
Shafaq News/ The Rwanga Foundation has launched Iraq's first fully sustainable, off-grid solar-powered village, aiming to address the country's growing climate and energy challenges. The pilot project, known as Kulak Solar Village, is being developed southeast of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region and will eventually house 32 homes and nearly 200 residents. The site will run entirely on solar energy and integrate systems for irrigation and regenerative agriculture, offering what the foundation calls a replicable model for rural resilience. 'For decades, Iraq has been scarred by conflict, resource depletion, and environmental decline,' said Idris Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Rwanga Foundation. 'This village represents a bold vision for a different future. By tapping into solar energy and the ingenuity of our people, we're transforming vulnerability into resilience.' The village forms part of Rwanga's broader Green Kurdistan initiative, which has planted more than 200,000 trees since 2020, including 20,000 olive trees in Kasnazane. The project also supports the foundation's Empowering Sustainable Livelihoods program, which trains farmers in modern agriculture and cooperative management. 'Sustainability is not a luxury—it's a lifeline,' said Hassan Aladdin, Rwanga's director. 'This village empowers communities to take control of their energy, food, and livelihoods.' Iraqi Kurdistan has experienced increasingly severe climate impacts, including temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F) and rapid desertification. The foundation said the Kulak village is designed to mitigate these risks through renewable infrastructure and ecological restoration. Founded in 2013, the Rwanga Foundation has delivered education, humanitarian aid, and development programs to more than three million people across Iraq. The solar village is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, with plans to expand the model to other areas of Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030.
