No one batted an eye when the power abruptly cut off in English teacher Miriam Zia’s 11th-grade classroom at the Sardam International School in Duhok. The cuts occur at least twice a day and are now “part of the fabric of our society,” Zia told Al-Monitor.

To combat growing electricity concerns in the district, the Iraqi governorate of Duhok signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) earlier this month to set up the district’s first solar energy park. The project comes amid pressure on Iraq to diversify its energy sources and lessen its dependence on Iran. 

Two years ago, Duhok released a plan for sustainable energy. The plan included the district’s pledge to make significant cuts to greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

“Our commitment to take climate action, deliver affordable, clean energy to the citizens and address electricity shortages remains as strong as ever," said Duhok Governor Farhad Atrushi Feb. 4, as he and the UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq Zena Ali-Ahmad signed a letter of agreement for the project. "Establishing the first solar park in Duhok will contribute to achieving this goal and meet the needs of the market.”