Latest news with #HassanAladdin
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.
Rudaw Net
09-03-2025
- General
- Rudaw Net
KRG, Rwanga Foundation launch environmental pact
Also in Kurdistan Women need to part of Kurdistan's decision-making: NGO Leadership shakeup at Erbil football club after loss Kurdish leaders commemorate women's day, highlight resilience Unidentified warplanes target Sulaimani village: Monitor A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's agriculture ministry and the local NGO Rwanga Foundation launched a joint environmental initiative on Sunday aimed at restoring ecosystems, adapting to climate change, and promoting sustainability across the Region. A statement by Rwanga noted that its director, Hassan Aladdin, and the Kurdistan Region's Agriculture Minister, Begard Talabani, discussed 'accelerating ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation measures, and community-focused sustainability projects across the region.' A key focus of the collaboration is Rwanga's ongoing effort to establish a 20,000-tree olive plantation in the Kasnazan subdistrict, east of Erbil. The initiative is overseen by the organization's founder, Idris Nechirvan Barzani. The Kasnazan forest, developed in 1998 on 840 dunams of land (one Iraqi dunam is approximately 2,500 square meters), contains some 60,000 trees of various types, including pine. Since 2003, Rwanga has planted '18,500 drought-tolerant olive trees… rehabilitating degraded soils and fostering biodiversity in an area once plagued by ecological decline,' the statement added. Rwanga also says that the Kasnazan plantation is part of its wider 'Green Kurdistan' campaign, 'which has planted over 200,000 trees' in the Kurdistan Region since 2020. Future phases will involve partnerships with Salahaddin University 'to monitor wildlife recovery and analyze soil regeneration in reforested areas.' 'A bilateral task force will oversee implementation and explore opportunities in eco-tourism and carbon trading schemes,' the statement elaborated. For her part, Minister Talabani 'announced upcoming policies aimed at attracting private investment in reforestation initiatives and pledged support for Rwanga's proposed rehabilitation of drought-affected areas.' Iraq is ranked the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the United Nations. The country continues to suffer from reduced precipitation, rising temperatures, and poor water management. In 2024, Iraq recorded scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, alongside widespread water scarcity, desertification, and declining rainfall.
