Iraq / Arab Summit News Agency
Baghdad (ICRC) – Iraq has been burdened by numerous wars, economic sanctions and internal conflicts for more than 40 years, but the potential economic and environmental repercussions of the climate crisis are largely among the most serious long-term threats facing the country today. Iraq, which includes the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, has become the fifth country most affected by climate change.
Desertification affects 39% of the land area throughout Iraq, and high temperatures have become common, along with recurring dry seasons and intensifying dust storms. The rainfall rate has also decreased during the past years, and many rivers have dried up, which has turned thousands of dunams (the area of one dunam is 2,500 square meters) into barren and barren lands. Riyad Al-Khazali, one of the tribal sheikhs in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, says:
We’ve been living here for decades. In the days of my youth, this area was like a marsh in which amber of all kinds was grown. Now when we look at this land we find it a desert and our psychological state is affected.
As for the members of the communities who reside in the areas that were famous for growing rice and wheat, they are now struggling to survive. Al-Mishkhab district of Najaf governorate was and still is famous for the cultivation of Amber rice, which is a special type characterized by its sweet smell. Ayad Mohsen, a farmer in Al-Mashkhab district, says: “Anbar rice is considered one of the best types of rice, and it cannot be compared to any other type of rice around the world. It has a unique taste and a pleasant aroma.”
Food production in Iraq depends on the cultivation of crops by smallholders, which usually covered the needs of its population. In any case, many factors such as armed conflicts, climate change and water scarcity over the past years have contributed to the damage to the sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Iraq is an agricultural country that relies mainly on demi agriculture. Therefore, severe drought, desertification, and the absence of alternative water resources led to a significant decline in the cultivation of ambergris. The authorities, along with the citizens, expect the cultivation of this famous Iraqi crop to disappear if these conditions continue. Muhannad Saree, the owner of a rice mill, says: “The area of land allocated for rice cultivation in Najaf governorate has decreased from 230 thousand dunums to 5,000-6,000 dunums only, and it is grown in amber only in small quantities because it needs large amounts of water.”
Farmers are exhausted and desperate as they slowly and painfully lose their only source of livelihood and their herd of livestock, forcing them to leave their lands and migrate to urban areas in search of an alternative source of income. Bassem Karim says: “Our source of livelihood is agriculture and animal husbandry, which do not exist at present, so our children migrated and the houses were abandoned after their people left them.”
Farmers in Iraq have clearly stated that their lives have become more difficult as a result of environmental and climatic factors. Bassem Karim, a farmer who holds a master’s degree in economics and refuses to leave his land, says: “We feel pain when we see the drought that afflicted our lands. Our psychological state has been affected, so we suffer from psychological problems because we do not know what We will.”
The ICRC, together with its partners including the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, is working to reduce water scarcity by rehabilitating water treatment plants, drinking water pumps, water networks and irrigation systems. It has also supported hundreds of farmers with agricultural tools, seeds and cash assistance to help restore livelihoods.
The growing threat of climate change combined with the lasting effects of armed conflicts in Iraq contribute to limiting the ability of the Iraqi state to maintain infrastructure or support agriculture. The complex effects of armed conflict and the climate crisis are creating new urgent needs for the poorest. Today, it is essential to get more support to help people adapt to climate change in Iraq and other fragile countries.
