The Department of Natural Resources was established in 2019 as a part of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences at the University of Sulaimani. Formally, this department was known as Soil and Water Sciences from 1995–2019. It was established to fill the gaps in the social requirements regarding different fields of natural resource specializations such as water resources, soil science, fishery, forestry, tourism, watershed management, and environmental sciences. The department consists of five laboratories for performing practical parts of the lectures, one lab for the postgraduate students, two halls for theoretical lectures, and one meteorological station, which is located outside the department building.

The department’s vision is to improve environmental sustainability by rehabilitating, developing, and managing agricultural and natural resources, as well as addressing the social and ecological dimensions of natural resources and the environment. To be exact,

1. Rehabilitation and development of renewable natural resources in our country that comprise soil, water, plants, aquatic life, wildlife, and conservation of areas that were subjected to destruction, burning, and extinction.
2. To conserve and manage the watersheds.
3. To sustain the revenue of our natural resources with healthy management.
4. To expand the tourism attractions in our country in both the private and public sectors.
5. To provide diverse work opportunities for our graduates in both the private and public sectors. In the public sector, the graduates will have a chance to be employed at the directorates of agriculture, water, environment, forests, meteorological stations, tourism, and dams. In the private sector, they can work in laboratories analyzing water, soil, and plant samples; constructing and supervising fishpond projects; establishing agricultural projects; and practicing mushroom and organic farming. Moreover, working at tourism sites, establishing irrigation systems in farms, and working in environmental and nature organizations

The mission of the Natural Resources Department is to provide information, teach students about the function and dynamics of renewable resources, and train scientific personnel who support the conservation and sustainability of this world’s resources. The department continually updates its programs to ensure they meet international standards. This has been done through partnership programs with similar departments at different international universities. This has been spurred by the constant struggle to serve the Kurdistan Region and for Kurdistan to play its role in the global effort to protect the environment. We hope that this effort will reward our students with great future careers in their fields.

Students who graduate from the Natural Resources Department should be able to integrate technical “field” knowledge with their skills to solve important natural resource management problems. They should be able to communicate effectively, work collaboratively, assess their professional strengths and weaknesses, and be committed to continuous learning and professional development.

They should be able to achieve the following aspects:

• Students will describe ecological processes, including human impacts that influence ecosystem change, natural succession, and the future sustainability of natural resources.
• Students will be able to identify soil types and how they are formed, as well as ways to modify soil structure and drainage to reduce erosion and improve water quality and water availability to plants.
• Students will be able to recognize how soil type and topography affect recommended agricultural, commercial, and residential uses and water quality at varying locations.
• Students will understand how to identify wild plants and sustainably manage them in various plant production systems.
• Students will understand the basic principles of wildlife ecology and management.
• Students will understand the basic concepts of laws relating to agriculture and/or the evaluation of land use for various agricultural practices.
• Students will be able to apply their knowledge to solve problems related to water resources, fish production, tourism development, and plant growth.
• Students will have a greater knowledge of how natural resources relate to the economy and environment, both currently and in the future.
• Students will work with others to coordinate activities to achieve group or team objectives.
• Students will have supervised, hands-on work experience related to natural resources.

The study methods in this department are both theoretical and practical.

The official language of instruction in the department is English.

65 hours per week. Study in this department is for 4 academic years (8 semesters).