Iraq will experience full-blown environmental degradation unless swift action is taken to tackle climate change, government officials and experts said on Monday.
The Ministry of Environment stated that Iraq ranks fifth on the list of countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of global warming, while the country's population of 40 million people is already facing environmental challenges including water scarcity, heatwaves and dust storms.
These challenges “limit the capabilities to fight poverty, to enhance livelihoods and to temper conflicts over natural resources”, Mohammed Al Allaf, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Mosul University, told a forum on climate change.
“By now, all have realised that protecting natural resources is essential to protect the environment,” Mr Al Allaf said. “Everyone will lose with any environmental collapse.”
Abandoning outdated agricultural methods and preserving the country’s vegetation cover are among the top priorities, he said.
Trees once covered more than 60 per cent of Iraq's land but Mr Al Allaf said this had dropped to less than 4 per cent.
“This a great catastrophe for us.”
One dunam — 1,000 square metres — of forest can absorb 140 kilograms of carbon dioxide and three to five tonnes of dust each year, he said.
Planting millions of dunams of forest, therefore, is urgently needed to reduce CO2 emissions, increase oxygen levels and cut pollution.
“Vegetation is not only a friend to the environment but also the cornerstone in the efforts to protect it,” Mr Al Allaf said.
Another pressing issue addressed during forum was water scarcity. About 90 per cent of the water feeding Iraq’s two main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, originates in Turkey or Iran.
The two countries — both facing their own recent water crises — have built dams and diverted water away from the rivers.
For decades, Iraq has failed to reach agreements with Iran and Turkey on how to ensure a fair division of the water supply, as both countries say that they, too, are suffering from scarcity of water and that Iraq follows outdated irrigation methods.
Other speakers at the forum called for more investment in renewable energy, modern waste-management technology, reducing the number of cars on Iraqi roads, raising awareness through new school curricula and for new laws aimed at stopping damage to the environment.
'We don't have time'
Abdullah Al Khafajy, a doctor and a climate activist, blamed the poor state of Iraq's environment on government inaction and the bad habits of Iraqis.
Dr Al Khafajy chastised the government for the absence of a proper green strategy in the oil sector and said that the country’s waste-management system was outdated, contributing to high air and water pollution.
“In a lot of cases, [government agencies] just burn the trash and this leads to very disastrous health outcomes — especially for the respiratory systems of human beings,” he said.
“Those fumes contain toxic materials — we in Baghdad smell those toxins almost weekly where they are burned.”
High levels of air pollution, he said, was one of the main reasons why rates of cancer and birth defects were rising in the country.
“All the time we try to advocate, we try to make change, [then] we get hit very hard by bureaucracy, corruption and political instability,” he said.
Dr Al Khafajy said the government had to act fast “because we don’t have time, Iraq is becoming a huge desert, we’re getting buried with sandstorms almost weekly and we can’t stand this and tolerate this any longer”.
He called on government and private sector to fund green initiatives, to allow youths to play their role in shifting the economy and to encourage more environment-focused start-ups.
However, he acknowledged that the road to environmental progress will be long.
“We need to educate, we need to advocate for the inclusion of climate action in our curricula not just the university curricula, but also middle school and primary school,” he said.
“We need children to grow up learning about the climate change and the catastrophe that could happen if we do not take action as soon as possible,” he added. “We should all take action to combat that.”
The one-day Climate Change International Forum took place in Mosul, a city that is still recovering from the three-year reign of ISIS and the war to drive the militants out.
Mosul and surrounding areas are facing a wide range of challenges, from postwar reconstruction to threats from climate change.
Despite its woes, Mosul has set an example for other Iraqi cities.
Last year, the non-governmental group Mosul Eye launched a drive to plant trees in and around the city, including a forest inside the city itself. More than 9,000 trees have been planted so far.
Provincial authorities in the province of Nineveh, where Mosul is located, planted more than 21,000 trees of different varieties last year, reviving part of its famous forests damaged during the war against ISIS. More than 3,000 trees have been planted this year alone.
“The current situation in Iraq is critical and we need to act swiftly,” said Anas Al Taie, executive director of Mosul Eye, which organised the forum.
“The problems we are facing in Iraq in general and Mosul in particular need years to be dealt with in order to change the reality.
“More provinces, especially those in southern Iraq, will lose a lot due to searing temperatures, lack of water and lost vegetation.”
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Napoleon
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
More Iraq election coverage:
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
