Aerial view: Baghdad choked by urban sprawl

Shafaq News/ Aerial footage of Baghdad paints a stark picture of a capital consumed by unchecked urban sprawl, where unplanned construction and the erosion of green spaces have transformed the city into a maze of concrete.

Once guided by structured planning, Baghdad has devolved into a disjointed sprawl of crowded towers, irregular neighborhoods, and scattered developments extending far beyond any cohesive framework.

The Tigris River, once the city’s centerpiece, now flows through dense, chaotic expansion. On both banks, buildings are packed tightly together, roads twist without logic, and greenery is virtually absent.

Drone images captured by Shafaq News Agency highlight a city not evolving through progress, but slipping into neglect. Parks and open spaces have given way to relentless construction, erasing what little vegetation remained.

This urban sprawl signals not only administrative dysfunction but worsening environmental conditions. With Iraq already suffering from prolonged drought and reduced river flows, the disappearance of green spaces worsens climate impacts.

The loss of greenery is more than cosmetic—it marks a deeper imbalance, where public well-being has been sidelined by disorganized growth and inaction. Despite growing calls for reforestation and sustainable urban planning, implementation remains minimal.