For the past 40 years, high winds have ravaged Iraq, and wars, persecution, economic sanctions, terrorism and internal strife have threatened its stability and disrupted the well-being of its citizens.
But the most serious future threat facing us is climate change and its economic impacts and significant environmental damages across Iraq.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, Iraq is the fifth most fragile country in terms of adapting to climate change.
On World Environment Day, I think it is necessary to call for the establishment of a national program for the recovery of Mesopotamia, dealing in essence with the urgent need for climate adaptation, and making it an opportunity to transform the Iraqi economy towards diversification and support renewable energies and clean mechanisms
Evidence of increased climate risk is all around us;
High temperatures have become more common, droughts are more severe, dust storms are more frequent, and desertification affects 39% of Iraq’s area, and 54% of our lands are at risk of losing agriculturally due to salinization, and building dams on the historical sources and tributaries of the Tigris and Euphrates - the lifeblood of our country - has reduced The flow of water, and led to the creep of the salt tongue towards the upper Shatt al-Arab.
These dams are leading to an increasing shortage of irrigation water, threatening our agricultural production and even the supply of drinking water to cities and villages.
According to Iraq's Minister of Water Resources, the country could face a deficit of up to 10.8 billion cubic meters of water annually by 2035.
The potential human costs of climate change are enormous;
7 million Iraqis have already been affected by drought and forced displacement.
With the highest rates of population growth in Iraq, data indicate that the country's population will double from 38 million today to 80 million by 2050, and this doubles the economic and social risks of climate change if left unaddressed.
Addressing climate change must be a national priority in Iraq, and it is necessary to start now, as the future of our generations depends on us, and we have a huge responsibility to face the challenge.
Therefore, on World Environment Day, I consider it necessary to call for the establishment of a national program for the recovery of Mesopotamia, dealing in essence with the urgent need for climate adaptation, and making it an opportunity to transform the Iraqi economy towards diversification, support renewable energies and clean mechanisms, enter carbon markets, and raise the resilience of fragile and vulnerable areas to Climate change and severe economic fluctuations, for better and more sustainable living conditions for citizens.
In January 2021, I ratified the parliament’s decision to join Iraq in the Paris climate agreement, this agreement which represents an important opportunity for our planet in facing climate changes through a unified international solidarity, and the Council of Ministers voted in February 2021 to invest solar electric plants to generate electricity Clean energy, and before that the Ministry of Environment started writing the National Contributions Document (NDC) to deal with climate change in the country.
We still have a lot to do;
A comprehensive roadmap must be developed in initiatives that enhance environmental sustainability, conserve available natural resources, and establish a green economy. This requires a set of concrete adaptation measures focused on land use, water conservation and energy efficiency, to be a starting point for more ambitious and longer-term subsequent programmes.
The Land of Blacks and the Gardens of Eden, the oldest definitions known to mankind, were descriptions of Mesopotamia, due to its greenness and fertile land;
Unfortunately, it is now turning into a barren desert.
The irony is that our aspiration to a better future requires us to return to our green past, through a nationwide campaign to reforest a wide south and west of the country, based on palms, the civilizational identity of Mesopotamia, and the restoration of forests in the mountains and around urban areas in Kurdistan.
Not only would this act as a barrier to carbon diffusion, it would support agricultural production and help protect the soil.
This campaign will be consistent and integrated with the ambitious Saudi initiative for a green Middle East.
In addition to this effort, new initiatives should be launched to modernize irrigation and water management methods and building standards, improve waste disposal and recycling, and capture flared associated gas.
These elements combined will achieve tangible economic benefits in the next decade, by creating new jobs in the sectors of agriculture, construction and light industry, supporting the development of a new industry in the fields of plastics, building supplies and food processing, supporting the private sector and encouraging foreign investment, and focusing on supporting the role of youth in economic development .
Iraq, with its geographical location in the heart of the region, and its ecological diversity, including palms, marshes and the mountains of Kurdistan;
It could be a springboard to bring the countries of the Middle East together.
We may disagree politically, but we must unite together in the face of climate change;
It is a threat that threatens everyone, and this requires linking our national plans with regional initiatives, and facing common environmental and economic challenges, such as frequent sandstorms, water scarcity, rising temperatures, desertification and diminishing our financial resources due to weak demand for oil, through a broad effort towards mitigating the effects of climate change across borders. and water management jointly and equitably.
The water file requires a frank and constructive dialogue between Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria, based on the principle of not harming any party, bearing joint responsibility, and establishing a joint effort for sustainable water management.
The project to revive Mesopotamia will require a national mobilization at all levels.
The government and all its institutions and departments, the parliament and its important and supportive legislative role.
Mobilizing the necessary political will is imperative. Ministries will need to be empowered, specialized institutions must be created, new legislation, laws and regulations revolutionized, and a role for youth social and civic actors.
Iraq will also need the help of its friends in the international community, for technical and planning support and technology transfer.
One of our first tasks will be to coordinate with specialized climate agencies to develop our efforts, and we are working to reach out to green funds, capital markets and international donors, to help finance investments in this regard.
It is time for action, and before us an arduous task. There is no time to slacken in the face of the challenge of climate change, which also represents an opportunity for Iraq and the region to take measures that put us on a more solid footing in the face of the challenges of the coming decades.