The air Erbil breathes is hazardous, Governor confirms

Shafaq News – Erbil

A confidential study has revealed dangerously high pollution levels in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Governor Omed Khoshnaw announced on Tuesday.

Speaking at a symposium hosted by the Rwaz Research Foundation, Khoshnaw noted that several academic institutions in Kurdistan had conducted the study in secret and found that living conditions in some areas had become hazardous.

“Most of the affected zones were near oil refineries. In response, local authorities shut down unauthorized and unlicensed refineries, leading to improvements in air quality,” Khoshnaw explained.

He also highlighted the city’s green belt project as part of a broader plan to address pollution, noting that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has decommissioned hundreds of residential generators, reducing their number to 1,600.

Kurdistan faces growing environmental challenges, including worsening air quality, severe water shortages, and expanding desertification. The KRG estimates that 39% of the region’s land is affected by desertification, while water availability has fallen to about 600 cubic meters per person annually—well below the global threshold for water stress.