The absence of urban planning exacerbates the "human inflation" in Baghdad

The absence of urban planning exacerbates the "human inflation" in Baghdad

Economical  2023/08/28
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  Baghdad: Haider Fleeh Al-Rubaie
The Ministry of Planning estimated the population of the city of Baghdad to be nine million people during the current year 2023, which is a figure that, according to many observers, represents a huge population “inflation” that led to deficiencies in basic services, especially health and education, accompanied by a complete absence of strategic planning that could ensure confronting This human expansion, which also caused, according to specialists in economic affairs, price inflation in residential units, goods and materials, and led to environmental pollution and traffic congestion.
Despite the effects that human inflation can have on cities, however, according to specialists in economic affairs, this matter represents a great attraction for various local and international companies aiming to invest in Baghdad as a result of the availability of guarantees for the success of projects, especially residential ones, which observers stress the need to be built outside. The boundary frame of the capital with the aim of absorbing momentum.
The advisor to the United Nations Population Fund, Mahdi Al-Allaq, had stated in a previous statement to "Al-Sabah" that the population growth rate in Iraq had decreased to 2.5 percent. After it was more than 3 percent about five years ago, pointing out that "Iraq is not witnessing a population explosion."
The official spokesman for the Ministry of Planning, Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawi, confirmed in a brief interview with "Al-Sabah" that the population of the city of Baghdad has reached nine million for the current year 2023, according to the Central Statistical Organization, indicating that this human expansion is matched by "schemes that the Ministry of Construction and the Municipality of Baghdad are developing."
As a result of this human expansion and the accompanying economic and environmental results, the economist, Nabil Jabbar Al-Tamimi, believes during his interview with "Al-Sabah" that "the capital has not witnessed urban planning for nearly 50 years, as well as updates that are compatible with the population reality, especially development projects." Transmission lines and intersections.
Al-Tamimi also indicated that "population inflation may not be a problem, as some cities attract huge and large numbers, but when it reaches the city's absorptive capacity, then the population in general will be affected by many factors, especially environmental, health and social, in addition to price inflation." And a significant decrease in the city's ability to achieve social welfare, as well as pressure on the infrastructure that will be negatively affected by this population explosion.
Al-Tamimi pointed out that many cities that are witnessing massive population growth are expanding urbanly in proportion to the size of the human increase taking place, and this is one of the solutions to confront population inflation, but the problem of Baghdad in particular is one of the cities that have not witnessed urban expansion for many years due to Many conditions that passed the country.
In parallel, the speaker believes that the city of Baghdad is positive as a result of the increase in its population, as it is an attractive area for many companies and investors, and that the success of large and small projects is guaranteed due to the population momentum, so it represents an important city from the local and international investment point of view due to its consumerism, despite Its collision with the service factor and the absence of major strategic projects to expand outside the city framework to reduce the momentum and reduce the burden on the services provided.

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