On World Environment Day: Reviving Mesopotamia for the Sake of the Region

On World Environment Day: Reviving Mesopotamia for the Sake of the Region

High winds have ravaged Iraq for the past 40 years. Wars, persecution, economic sanctions, terrorism and internal strife have threatened its stability and disrupted the well-being of its citizens.

However, the most serious future threat facing us is climate change, its economic impact and significant environmental damage across the country. According to the United Nations Environment Program, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in terms of adapting to climate change.

Evidence of increased climate risk is all around us. High temperatures are becoming more common, droughts more severe and dust storms more frequent. Desertification affects 39% of the area of Iraq, and 54% of our lands are at risk of agricultural loss due to salinization. The construction of dams on the historic Tigris and Euphrates - the lifeblood of our country - reduced the flow of water and led to the extension of the salt tide towards the upper Shatt al-Arab.

These dams are leading to an increasing shortage of irrigation water and 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