Iraqi rights group warns 70% of land faces desertification risk

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Strategic Center for Human Rights, based in Baghdad, said on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought that Iraq is among the countries in the region hardest hit by land degradation. The center reported that about 70% of Iraq's territory is experiencing some level of land degradation, citing shrinking water resources, rising temperatures, more frequent drought waves and dust storms. According to the center, roughly 40% of the world's land area is affected by degradation, and desertification and drought cause annual economic losses of $878 billion, directly affecting more than 3.2 billion people. It warned that the trend threatens Iraqi citizens' access to water, food, healthcare and economic security. The center called on the government to adopt sustainable water management, expand afforestation projects, rehabilitate soil, build water-harvesting infrastructure and develop climate-resilient agricultural programs. It also urged the use of artificial intelligence and remote-sensing technologies to monitor environmental change and reduce the effects of desertification.