Shrinking green spaces in Iraq highlight urgent environmental concerns
Shafaq News/ Green spaces in Iraq have diminished significantly from around 50 to 17 percent due to climate change and the negligence of citizens and responsible authorities in providing green areas.
Experts told Shafaq News Agency that green spaces are "not a luxury but an urgent need," contrasting with the perspective of some government institutions following what is militarily known as the "scorched earth" policy.
The escalating urban activity at the expense of green spaces in Iraq has led to the disappearance of agricultural lands, converting them into residential and commercial zones. This has had negative repercussions on the environment, increasing air pollution and contributing to climate change. As temperatures soar to fifty degrees Celsius amidst dwindling green spaces, concerns about desertification are growing.
The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes the need to plant over 15 billion trees to combat desertification effectively, while specialists believe that reviving and rehabilitating forests and planting areas with these numbers of trees in the coming years could help restore cleaner air to Iraqi skies, polluted by harmful emissions from various sources.
According to the most polluted country ranking of the Swiss air quality technology company (IQAir,) Iraq ranks sixth worldwide.
Baghdad ranks 21st worldwide and second in the Arabic world after Cairo and Doha.
In addition, Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah are considered the most polluted governorates in Iraq.
Climate change has impacted Iraq significantly in recent years, ranking it as the fifth most affected country globally, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Environment and the United Nations.
Iraq loses 100,000 dunams (100 Square Kilometres) annually due to desertification, with the water crisis leading to a 50 percent reduction in agricultural lands, according to official statements.
According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, forest areas in Iraq now account for only 2% of the total land area.
Halting Urban Investment Within Baghdad
In this context, Yahya Al-Khazali, a member of the Baghdad Governorate Council, stated, "There is an effort to transform areas in Baghdad into green spaces, and a proposal has been submitted to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to halt construction and investment within the capital to reduce population congestion and suffocation due to the proliferation of vertical buildings, and to make way for creating green spaces. Al-Sudani has agreed to this proposal."
Al-Khazali told Shafaq News that "Areas with green spaces suffer from violations and other issues, but Al-Sudani is determined to address these places and transform them into green spaces, including the 5th District, Rashid Camp, and others."
In September 2023, Baghdad Municipality announced its agricultural plan, including initiatives such as establishing 108 gardens and planting over 5 million seedlings and 375,000 trees and shrubs to increase green areas in the capital.
The Municipality stated that it "continues to implement its plans by increasing green spaces and recreational areas, rehabilitating parks and playgrounds in accordance with the directives of the Prime Minister and paying attention to these activities in service of the capital's residents."
The Alarming Future Of Climate Changes
Omar Abdul Latif, a member of the "Green Iraq" Observatory, emphasized that "Green spaces have decreased from about 50 to 17 percent due to climate changes, notably water scarcity, citizens' lack of interest in agriculture, and rising temperatures, in addition to clear negligence in providing green spaces by citizens and responsible authorities."
Abdul Latif explained to Shafaq News that "Iraq needs green spaces, and providing them takes from one to two years, so we must start early because the future is terrifying in terms of climate changes, especially with rising temperatures and pollution."
He continued, "This year, we've noticed an abnormal rise in temperatures, necessitating a review of all plans and making green spaces the foundation for revitalizing the atmosphere and improving the mood of Iraqi families."
An Urgent Need, Not A Luxury
Environmental activist Falah Hassan attributed the absence of green spaces in cities to "some Iraqi government circles and institutions following what is known militarily as the policy of 'scorched earth,' where they consider tree planting as a luxury and aesthetic rather than an urgent need. Changing this principle will lead to the existence of green spaces in cities, and projects will respect the presence of trees, preserve them, and allocate a percentage of public space for afforestation."
Hassan emphasized to Shafaq News that "In other countries, there are laws preventing cement encroachment on green spaces, as buildings retain heat in the absence of vegetation cover. Therefore, green spaces are an urgent need and not a luxury as perceived by some government circles and institutions."
