Water Governance and Coordination in Iraqi Environmental Federalism

Farhad Mamshai, Virginia Tech (Iraq)

This project explores how water scarcity—intersect with Iraq’s federal and ethnic political dynamics. Focusing on contested governance between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, it analyzes how overlapping authorities govern water infrastructure and dam projects. The presentation introduces the concept of ethnic environmental federalism, proposing a new framework for understanding decentralized water-energy governance in conflict-affected, multi-ethnic states.