Iraq faces surge in dust storms from six hotspots

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq is bracing for a rise in dust and sandstorms after the Green Iraq Observatory identified six major hotspots driving the country’s worsening environmental crisis.

The observatory reported on Tuesday that these hotspots are concentrated in central, western, and southern Iraq, with most clustered in the south. International studies, according to the environmental watchdog, confirm that desertification in these areas has created storm belts that now sweep across borders into Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, and Iran.

It highlighted ongoing cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait on a southern project to stabilize dunes and curb storm generation, along with coordination with international organizations — including UN-Habitat, the Commonwealth, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) — to develop joint mechanisms that reduce the impact of dust storms.

Dust and sandstorms have already become a national emergency, fueled by climate change, desertification, and water scarcity. In April 2025 alone, a sweeping dust front blanketed much of the country, sending over 3,700 people to hospitals, grounding flights in Basra and Najaf, and halting governmental operations due to zero visibility.