Iraq's Green Observatory warns 55% of country faces desertification risk

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Green Observatory, based in Baghdad, said on Monday it has identified 15 environmental, climatic and human-made disasters that have struck the country over the past three decades. According to the observatory's report, the cumulative impact has caused severe damage to natural resources and ecosystems, reduced agricultural output and increased pressure on water supplies. National data cited in the report show that about 55.5% of Iraq's land is threatened by desertification, while 23.2% consists of degraded terrain. The observatory said sandstorms have become more frequent and dusty days more numerous, while green cover has shrunk and soil structure has deteriorated due to salinization and erosion. The observatory listed desertification and land degradation, drought driven by sharp declines in river flows, sandstorms, extreme heat waves and flooding from rising river levels among the principal climate and environmental disasters. Soil- and water-related threats include salinization of farmland, declining water quality from pollutants, the drying of wetlands, and the loss of habitats and livelihoods. Human-driven hazards cited include the environmental effects of wars and conflict, oil and industrial pollution, and the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses. The observatory warned that water pollution is raising disease risks and that drought and lost livelihoods are deepening internal displacement. It called for a national climate emergency declaration, a nationwide afforestation program and the renewal of irrigation systems to combat salinization.