This book examines the current economic practices of water management in the Southern Kurdistan Region (SKR) and suggests ways to change environmental conditions to encourage the region's decision-makers to pursue sustainable resource development through interstate and within Kurdistan Region KRG-consumers' co-operation. The focus is making a comparative study of water resources between Iraq, its neighbouring countries, MENA and the world averages; conducting a sector analysis to identify and quantify available water resources, the needs and sub-optimality in their uses; analysing current allocation of water and quantifying and suggesting necessary reductions in wasteful use of water resources; designing water policies and suggesting measures that improve regional water planning and management practices; developing techniques and models in the projection of demand, supply and future utilisation patterns and quantification of the water gap; suggesting alternatives for provision of water to areas facing scarcity on the basis of sustainable long-term and minimum cost solutions; suggesting necessary mechanisms for approaching interstate co-operation and for participating in the building of inter-regional institutions; proposing economically and environmentally optimal practices for within region and interstate co-operation and resource management; suggesting opportunities for increased government investment in the development and management of the water market.