Civil Engineering Department Students: A Scientific Visit to the Environmental Office of Erbil Municipality

On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the Civil Engineering Department, as part of its commitment to enhancing students’ understanding of environmental challenges and waste management solutions, organized a scientific visit for its fourth-year students to the Directorate of Service and Environment Protection Office of Erbil Municipality. This visit, which took place under the supervision of Dr. Esmail Khalife, provided students with valuable insights into municipal waste management within the Erbil Governorate.

The visit included a meeting with Eng. Zhyar Jalal Husien, Director of the Directorate of Service and Environment Protection Office. This environmental and civil engineering expert introduced the students to the current state of Erbil’s municipal waste management system and discussed its challenges from waste generation to final disposal. The session covered key aspects such as the importance of waste management, municipal waste environmental, social, and economic impacts on urban sustainability, challenges in waste disposal, the main issues faced by the waste management system in Erbil from collection inefficiencies to landfill limitations, global waste management practices, successful waste management techniques used in developed countries, particularly Japan, similar challenges and technical solutions and innovations, potential strategies to enhance waste collection, treatment, and disposal efficiency within Erbil.

This visit was crucial for students as they gathered essential data to support their graduation projects, focusing on innovative and sustainable waste management solutions. Eng. Zhyar also highlighted future opportunities for collaboration and research in this field.