Iraq’s green decline: Can new laws and trees reverse it?

Shafaq News/ Iraq is intensifying its response to a deepening land-use crisis as agricultural areas continue to be converted for non-agricultural use. With farmland vanishing under both legal and illegal development, authorities are tightening controls and reinforcing state oversight of land classification.

Fertile Ground Lost to Expansion

Iraq’s farmland is under mounting pressure from unregulated development, rapid population growth, and weak enforcement of land-use regulations. In central provinces such as Baghdad, orchards and cultivated fields are increasingly being replaced by informal housing and speculative real estate projects, eroding the agricultural base and shrinking green cover.

According to Ibtisam Al-Hilali, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture and Water Committee, real estate investment has played a major role in this trend. “These projects have significantly contributed to the destruction and fragmentation of farmland,” she told Shafaq News agency.

However, the impact extends beyond land availability. Agricultural expert Khattab al-Damen warned that the continued loss of farmland—particularly in areas adjacent to rivers, where crops like tomatoes and potatoes are grown—is directly undermining Iraq’s food production capacity.

“This reduces space for agricultural activity and limits production,” he noted.

The country also risks growing reliance on food imports, which could deplete foreign currency reserves and increase economic vulnerability. The environmental consequences are equally concerning as the removal of orchards and green spaces accelerates desertification, worsens air quality, and raises urban temperatures. Al-Damen emphasized that farmland serves not only economic functions but also acts as a critical ecological buffer.

Governance Failures Deepen the Crisis

The problem is exacerbated by fragmented governance and overlapping institutional responsibilities. Al-Damen remarked that multiple ministries are involved in land management, yet often operate with little coordination.

“The Ministry of Housing expands residential zones. The Ministry of Planning manages classification,” he told Shafaq News, asserting, “The result is inconsistency and delay.”

Additionally, provincial governments and municipal authorities, which are responsible for reallocating land, face political constraints and limited administrative capacity. A housing plan introduced by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani aims to allocate and rehabilitate land for residential development, but progress has been slow.

In the absence of timely implementation, investment licenses for construction on farmland continue to be issued, compounding the crisis. Al-Damen warned that removing illegal housing already built on farmland could trigger public unrest, further limiting the government’s ability to reverse past violations.

Legal Barriers Tighten on Land Conversion

In response to these mounting pressures, Iraqi authorities have reinforced legal measures to prevent further farmland loss. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mehdi Saher al-Jubouri stated that enforcement has intensified, leading to a noticeable decline in violations.

“There are specific laws that prohibit bulldozing orchards and removing trees,” he said, referencing Forests and Orchards Law No. 30 (2009), the Environmental Protection and Improvement Law No. 27 (2009), and Cabinet Decision No. 50 (2016).

Violators, he clarified, now face contract termination and legal proceedings, with enforcement handled by the Ministry of Interior, provincial municipalities, and local agriculture directorates.

Al-Jubouri also stressed that protecting agricultural land is vital for both environmental stability and public health, citing Iraq’s global standing in palm cultivation and date production as a “strategic reason” to preserve orchards and green areas.

Meanwhile, efforts are aligned at the legislative level. Al-Hilali confirmed that all investment projects on agricultural land have been suspended, and municipalities have been instructed not to approve any reclassification requests.

“A formal petition has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office to maintain the legal agricultural status of the land, even in water-scarce regions,” she asserted.

Al-Hilali also pointed out that most farmland cannot be reclassified due to its legal registration, calling for urban expansion to be redirected toward desert areas instead.

Tree Campaign Seeks Environmental Recovery

To counter the environmental damage, authorities have launched a national reforestation effort. Al-Hilali explained that the campaign aims to plant one million trees across Iraq, distributed at no cost, arguing that the initiative is essential not only to restore lost greenery but also to mitigate climate-related stress in urban zones.

“Green areas in residential zones are not just cosmetic—they are necessary,” she noted.