Iraq’s first fully solar-powered village has officially opened in Kulak, delivering off-grid electricity and infrastructure aimed at supporting rural sustainability in the face of mounting climate pressures.
The project, launched by the Erbil-based Rwanga Foundation on May 20, marks a significant step toward addressing environmental challenges such as heatwaves, drought, and desertification that increasingly affect communities across Iraq.
Kulak Solar Village operates entirely on solar power and provides continuous electricity to residents. It includes infrastructure to support future solar-driven irrigation systems and training programmes in regenerative agriculture. The aim is to provide rural communities with energy autonomy and the means to restore degraded environments.
Rwanga Foundation President Idris Nechirvan Barzani described the initiative as part of a long-term plan to expand similar developments across the country. “Our vision is to see this model grow across Iraq—one village at a time—until sustainability becomes the standard,” he said.
The project comes as Iraq was recently ranked among the world’s five most climate-vulnerable countries by the United Nations. In this context, Kulak is being positioned as a practical example for scaling up renewable energy and land restoration in vulnerable regions.
The initiative is part of Rwanga’s wider Green Kurdistan campaign, which includes partnerships with local governments and international organisations. The foundation plans to replicate the model across Kurdistan and into central Iraq by 2030.
Rwanga has also undertaken broader environmental programmes over the past five years, including the planting of more than 200,000 trees and investments in youth and education projects that support adaptation to environmental change.
