International report: Ways to confront the challenges of climate change in five Iraqi governorates

[size=52]International report: Ways to confront the challenges of climate change in five Iraqi governorates[/size]

[size=45]Translated by / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A report by the German organization, Berghof Foundation, dealt with the consequences and problems of climate change and mismanagement in nine regions in Iraq distributed among five governorates, namely Basra, Kirkuk, Al-Qadisiyah, Salah al-Din, and Sulaymaniyah in the region, which are limited to the scarcity of natural resources and their impact on the standard of living and food security of rural families and ways to confront these challenges. .[/size]
[size=45]The report included the consequences of climate change in the Afaj and Al-Hamza Al-Sharqi regions in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, the Baiji region in Salah al-Din Governorate, the Chamchamal, Kallar and Kafri regions in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, the Hawija region in Kirkuk Governorate, and the Shatt al-Arab and Zubair regions in Basra Governorate.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that Iraq has already begun to feel the consequences of climate change and its increasing risks to the living and security situation. This is due to the country’s exposure to high temperatures and the lack of capabilities to adapt and confront these effects due to weak management, weak infrastructure, and the mechanisms harnessed to confront them.[/size]
[size=45]The report states that the effects of climate change are represented by four consequences that must be paid attention to because of their importance, which are water scarcity and scarcity, and the loss of economic sources of livelihood for families that depend on agriculture for their livelihood, which may lead to the option of migration, and this also causes the problem of food insecurity in these areas and the impact of this on the local market. The international organization states that the effects of climate change may increase the burden of the many other challenges facing the country, especially with regard to the areas that witnessed battles to liberate them from the control of ISIS, and what is needed in terms of reconstruction, infrastructure, and the provision of services so that the displaced can return to their places there.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that there is a combination of several major factors in these aforementioned regions related to confronting the effects of climate change and its consequences on food security and stability. Most of the residents of the regions pointed to the weakness and inadequacy of the measures taken by the government to confront these consequences. This can be explained by the lack of allocated financial resources and the lack of specialized capabilities in this field.[/size]
[size=45]In its report, the organization recommends the need to strengthen comprehensive plans and procedures to confront the consequences of climate change through the cooperation of local and national bodies and civil society organizations to formulate strategies through which to address and confront the risks and consequences of climate change. The organization also recommends strengthening cooperation between local government agencies and international organizations to confront the effects of climate change.[/size]
[size=45]As for financial allocations and poor resources, the organization reminds us of the necessity of developing plans related to this issue. This matter is required of government agencies to put in their plan the allocation of resources to mitigate the consequences of climate change, in parallel with their plans to combat corruption. The report also indicates the need to develop and improve the administrative method and strengthen cooperation plans to overcome problems related to disputed areas that have an impact on the absence of ways to mitigate the effects of climate change there. In addition to the possibility of cooperating with international organizations to obtain their support in the field of climate change solutions.[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the low levels of water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the rest of the rivers with neighboring countries, the organization recommends continuing cooperation between the federal government with both Turkey and Iran and negotiating with them to release Iraq’s water shares.[/size]
[size=45]The report notes that Iraq depends on the water resources it receives from both Turkey and Iran, and since both of the aforementioned countries have built dams and power plants at the sources of these rivers, this has had a negative impact on the quantities of water flowing to it. In the year 2022, water flow levels from Turkey to Iraq decreased by 66%, while river water flow levels from Iran to Iraq decreased by 90%. While tensions increased regarding this matter, both Iran and Turkey blamed the consequences of climate change, which reduced the flow of water to Iraq. Signs of the consequences of climate change are beginning to appear in Iraq, especially with regard to the decline in rainfall seasons. Since the 1950s, rainfall levels have begun to decrease by 5 mm per month, and this trend continues to decrease with the increase in temperature rates, on the other hand, at a rate of 2 degrees Celsius per year. During the past decade, Iraq witnessed extreme climatic phenomena that varied between a significant rise in temperatures, droughts, desertification, floods, and dust and sand storms. These incidents had sustainable effects on the country in various aspects, including their impact on agricultural crops, which affected 20% of the country’s population. Those who work in agriculture, which is the second source of the national economy after oil.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that the Ministry of Water Resources, which is responsible for managing water resources in the country, has moved forward with a series of measures aimed at alleviating the effects of water scarcity resulting from climate change, as it helped dig more than 500 wells in various regions of the country for the purpose of watering agricultural crops. Providing water for use by rural families, while setting conditions and restrictions to rationalize the consumption of this water among farmers.[/size]
[size=45]• About ReliefWeb International[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]