Iraqi expert warns cities strained by infrastructure gaps and climate pressure

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi urban planning and economics expert said on Sunday that Iraq's cities are under mounting pressure on infrastructure and basic services as rapid population growth runs ahead of unplanned construction. Ahmed Temimi said electricity, water, sewage and road networks are failing to keep pace with rising demand, with aging facilities and limited modernization work. He added that high temperatures are pushing up energy consumption and water needs, intensifying summer outages and deepening the strain that climate change is placing on urban areas. Temimi noted that many cities are expanding horizontally while service networks fail to grow at the same pace, widening the gap between public needs and institutional capacity. He called for modern structural planning, the redirection of new settlements, planned densification in existing cities, and stronger public transport and green spaces. New cities, he said, should be designed around sustainability and climate resilience, with energy efficiency and water management supported by renewable energy and smarter service delivery.