The Rwanga Foundation has officially launched the Kulak Solar Village, Iraq’s first fully off-grid, solar-powered community, marking a significant milestone for sustainable development and climate adaptation in the Kurdistan region and the country at large.
The village was inaugurated on May 20, and stands as a beacon of innovation — integrating renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation practices at a time when Iraq faces escalating environmental threats.
Located southeast of Erbil, the Kulak Solar Village is entirely powered by solar energy, delivering uninterrupted electricity to homes, a mosque, a school, and a community hall through nearly 200 solar panels.
The project also lays the groundwork for solar-driven irrigation and hands-on training in regenerative agriculture, providing residents with the tools needed for energy independence, food security, and ecological restoration.
“This project proves that we can protect our environment, empower our people, and build a future rooted in resilience, dignity, and hope,” said Idris Nechirvan Barzani, founder and president of the Rwanga Foundation.
“Our vision is to see this model grow across Iraq — one village at a time — until sustainability becomes the standard, not the exception.”
The initiative comes as Iraq is ranked by the United Nations as the world’s fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, grappling with extreme heatwaves, water scarcity, and rapid desertification.
The Kulak Solar Village is designed as a replicable model to empower rural communities facing these acute challenges.
Rwanga’s broader Green Kurdistan campaign, which has already seen over 200,000 trees planted in the past five years, will build on this milestone.
The Foundation plans to expand the solar village model across Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030, in partnership with regional authorities and international organisations.
With the Kulak Solar Village now fully operational, the Rwanga Foundation aims to set a new standard for climate resilience, sustainable living, and rural empowerment in Iraq.
