WFP helps Iraqi Kurdistan to be a "green region"

Shafaq News/ Iraq is identified as one of the top five countries most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, according to the United Nations.

In a move to assist Iraq in combating climate change, the World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an initiative to rehabilitate an important facility, aiming to support sustainable forest conservation in collaboration with local communities and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The WFP has identified the Sarchanar tree nursery as "one of the largest in the Kurdistan Region and one of the oldest in Iraq." Therefore, WFP is helping to protect it as well as forest in the Region.

"Iraqi Kurdistan has lost over two million hectares of its forests in the past two decades. However, since 2023, WFP's efforts have increased sapling production from 250,000 to 1.5 million saplings per year," WFP stated.

The World Bank, at the end of 2022, reported that Iraq faces an urgent climate challenge and must adopt a "greener and more environmentally friendly" development model. This includes diversifying its economy and reducing its carbon dependency.

According to a World Bank report, by 2040, Iraq will need $233 billion in investments to meet its most pressing developmental needs as it embarks on a greener and more inclusive growth path. This amount equates to about 6% of the country's annual GDP.