Fading green: Iraq's battle against barrenness

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s green spaces are vanishing at an alarming rate, with vegetation now covering just 17% of the country’s land—a steep decline from previous decades that has sparked national concern.

From Lush to Barren

Government and UN data paint a bleak picture: Iraq’s green cover has plunged from nearly 50% in the past decades to less than a fifth today. Forests now make up just 1.9% of the country, or about 825,000 hectares, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

In Baghdad, over half the capital’s greenery has disappeared since 2023, the Ministry of Environment reported. Air quality has deteriorated drastically, placing Baghdad among the world’s most polluted cities. The country’s iconic date palm groves are also vanishing—45% have been lost to drought, disease, and rising soil salinity.

The broader environmental crisis is compounded by climate change, rapid urban expansion, weak enforcement of environmental laws, declining rainfall—down 30% over the past 50 years—and rising temperatures that accelerate desertification. The UN Environment Programme estimates Iraq has lost 60% of its fertile land since the 1980s, with nearly 20% of what remains at high risk.

Environmental experts warn that without sustained action, the country faces ecological collapse. The World Bank ranked Iraq 11th globally in climate vulnerability in 2024, citing extreme heat, water shortages, and fragile institutional capacity.

In the Kurdistan Region, forest cover has dropped 30% in just two decades, largely due to illegal logging.

A Nation Reclaims Its Green

In response, Iraq has launched nationwide reforestation efforts. In December 2024, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced the Baghdad Sustainable Forest initiative, which aims to plant 10 million trees by 2030. The program builds on the 2023 Green Baghdad plan, which targets a 15% increase in the city’s green space and the creation of 108 parks.

Dhi Qar province has recently joined the national effort. Deputy Governor Majed Hamid Al-Attabi announced a campaign to plant 15,000 trees along key routes, including the Ya Hussein road. He said the initiative aligns with the federal government’s push to expand green zones and combat desertification.

“Our goal is to foster a culture of tree planting and improve environmental health across public spaces,” Al-Attabi told Shafaq News.