Baghdad faces deepening environmental crisis as water, air quality and green spaces deteriorate

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's water resources, farmland and air quality are registering some of their worst readings in years, with official data tracking declining flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and rising dust concentrations in major cities. Long-term risks, however, extend beyond those indicators, according to a review of environmental conditions. The Mesopotamian civilizations built their societies around the protection of land and rivers as the foundation of life, with prosperity tied to managing resources and living within natural limits. That balance shifted when oil extraction moved to the center of the economy, reducing the value placed on surface water, agricultural land, gardens and natural resources, the review found. Decades of short-term decisions accelerated the decline, the review said. Unauthorized construction spread onto fertile land, wide gardens that once served as natural buffers around cities were removed, and concrete expansion replaced green spaces. Baghdad now stands as the most visible example of the crisis, with contaminated soil, heavy dust-laden air and mounting water stress. As new generations lose their connection to the rivers, gardens and clean air, the deterioration of the environment is emerging as a direct threat to the country's quality of life, the assessment concluded.