Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has announced a regional initiative aimed at safeguarding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, unveiling the program under the slogan: "Our Water... Our Future." The announcement was made during his speech at the Fifth Baghdad Water Conference. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sudani articulated that the initiative is intended to serve as a platform for defining roles, duties, and responsibilities, fostering mutual benefit, and exploring broad areas of cooperation. He highlighted that the initiative is fundamentally rooted in leveraging technical innovation and employing science and technology to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Al-Sudani underlined the necessity for a genuine and responsible partnership at both national and international levels to manage water resources, which he described as vital to life. He stressed that water issues extend beyond simple service challenges, emphasizing their national significance as they present risks and challenges impacting all facets of life. Furthermore, Al-Sudani remarked on the global economic, social, security, and developmental cycles that underscore the importance of water resources, emphasizing the need for their availability and quality. Reflecting on the past two years, he asserted that technological solutions have been instrumental in addressing declines in water resources. He also highlighted the importance of defining responsibilities within national efforts to safeguard this sensitive resource, which significantly impacts its surroundings. Al-Sudani noted advancements in dam management, water storage, and wastewater treatment automation, and reaffirmed the framework for solutions based on international law principles and norms that unite riparian countries to enhance water security. The Prime Minister acknowledged the greatest challenge in addressing water issues is the limited cooperation and exchange of knowledge, technologies, and procedures across borders, calling for improved coordi nation to address these challenges effectively.