The Minister of Environment calls for international assistance to confront climate changes

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[size=52]The Minister of Environment calls for international assistance to confront climate changes[/size]

[size=45]Translation: Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]The Minister of Environment, Jassem Al-Falahi, called for international assistance to save Iraq from climate changes, pointing out that the drought helped the emergence of ancient cities under water.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi said, in an article published by the American magazine Newsweek, translated by (Al-Mada), that “dust was the culprit in this situation, as it was scattered everywhere. One day, in May, the Ministry of Health declared a state of emergency and closed schools. And the governor of Baghdad stopped work, and most of the provinces declared a holiday to keep people safe in their homes.[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that the Iraqis lived through many difficult events over five decades that ended with the war with the terrorist organization ISIS, and that the consequences of climate change may also continue for another fifty years.[/size]
[size=45]Al Falahi explained, “We are currently experiencing the effects of climate change and we need help to deal with it. The United Nations has placed Iraq among the five countries in the world most affected by climate change.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi stated, “For two weeks this summer, the lowest temperature was 49 degrees Celsius and the highest temperature reached nearly 51 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature recorded in one morning was about 38 degrees Celsius.”[/size]
[size=45]He says, "Yes, we are used to the hot weather, but it seems that the weather has become worse and is making the dry country drier. The drought this year has reached a very bad stage, as ancient cities that were under water were exposed."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi pointed out that “dust storms have long been considered a problem in Iraq, but they have become more frequent and more severe storms may come. For 20 years, the Ministry of Environment has warned that Iraq may witness dust storms over 272 days a year. And by 2050, it could reach 300 dusty days a year.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi said, “It is also ironic that we are adding to this dusty atmosphere fuel fumes that burn in the air and gaseous emissions, which makes our air hotter, and now there are plans to pump more oil to cover global demand and reduce its price.”[/size]
[size=45]He said, "As a developing country, we use the revenues of our oil industry to provide for the entitlements of our citizens and improve their standard of living with food, infrastructure, education and security."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi continues, “We are developing electricity generation from solar energy and benefiting from our abundant solar energy, and there are solar energy projects being implemented with a generation capacity of 7.5 gigawatts.”[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "By 2030, we plan that the percentage of renewable energy will reach one-third of the volume of energy generated in Iraq."[/size]
[size=45]However, Al-Falahi added, "What matters most to us now is water. This precious resource has begun to decline to alarming levels in Iraq, and according to the Ministry of Water Resources, water levels in Iraq decreased by 60% more during 2022 compared to last year."[/size]
[size=45]He stressed, "The basins of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq, which represent the backbone of Iraq, lose large proportions of water every year, and the ministry warns that Iraq may become by 2040 a land without rivers."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi noted, "This water scarcity harms Iraqi farmers and threatens the lives of millions of citizens. In response to these warnings, the government is working to modernize farming techniques and create a more efficient irrigation system. It is also working on agreements with neighboring countries, from which 80% of the water that feeds Iraq originates.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi added, "This is simply not enough. We need more help from the United States, other partners in the world, and other international institutions and organizations."[/size]
[size=45]He called for "helping reduce gas emissions, help us secure our water quotas, invest in renewable energy projects here in Iraq, and support us by diversifying the sources of our economy."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Falahi added, "We need global help in dealing with this real threat that we are living in now. On the contrary, the cradle of civilization may become what will be known as the hearth of climate change.”[/size]
[size=45]About the American magazine (Newsweek)[/size]
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