Protect Mosul’s forests: Council member urges land transfer

Shafaq News/ Political groups are moving to seize control of Mosul’s forested lands, but officials are fighting back, Erivan Mahdi, a member of the Nineveh Provincial Council told Shafaq News.

“Several political entities are attempting to take control of the city’s tourist forest lands, which serve as Mosul’s primary recreational space,” she said, urging authorities to transfer ownership from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Municipalities to block investment projects.

Her call follows opposition from Mosul Municipality Director Abdul Sattar Al-Habbo, who has resisted the Ministry of Education’s plan to build a residential complex in the area. Earlier in January, MP Mohammed Nouri Al-Abed Rabbo warned that the forests were a “red line” and should remain protected.

Known as the city’s “lungs,” Mosul’s forests have suffered from neglect, urban encroachment, fires, and destruction from the war with ISIS. Since the city's liberation in 2017, over 150,000 trees have been lost, leaving only 70,000, including eucalyptus, sycamore, and pine. Wildlife, such as parrots and migratory birds, has largely disappeared.