Iraq's environment threatens 58 animals with extinction, and climate change is the reason

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[size=52]Iraq's environment threatens 58 animals with extinction, and climate change is the reason[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Tabarak Abdul Majeed[/size]
[size=45]The effects of climate change have placed Iraq at risk of losing its lion’s roar and the absence of “Masgouf” from Iraqis’ tables, accompanied by a decline in many professions, amid weak government measures.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq is home to more than 58 species of endangered animals.[/size]
[size=45]Self-initiatives[/size]
[size=45]The director of the Basra Zoo and Park, Ghali Al-Murshedi (a lion tamer), says that wild and aquatic animals are “a tremendous economic and environmental wealth that would bring a financial return to the country if invested properly,” but he expresses his regret at the threat of extinction facing 58 animals, He attributed the reason to the impact of “climate change.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Murshidi explained to Al-Mada, “Iraq is the first home of many animals, including lions, but the current environment has become unsuitable for their living.” Despite the challenges that hinder the continued living and reproduction of lions, Al-Murshidi is trying to create an artificial environment that guarantees their survival. Because of his passion for lions since his childhood, he sought to establish a natural reserve in 1992 in Al-Zubair district in Basra Governorate.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Murshidi blamed the government for the decline of green spaces and for allowing them to be converted into commercial centers and sold to companies and real estate, ignoring calls for establishing natural reserves or supporting private reserves.[/size]
[size=45]He points out that there is a large amount of poaching against wolves, which is due to ancient heresies and untrue myths, such as the use of a wolf’s fang or eyelid, placing it in the category of endangered animals.[/size]
[size=45]“Birds have not been spared the effects of climate change. In the past, especially during migration seasons, the sky was filled with huge numbers of birds such as swans, storks and flamingos, but due to drought, the numbers decreased and no longer exceeded 10 percent.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Morshedi presented a proposal to all municipal departments to adopt the establishment of a natural reserve that includes a number of extinct animals, under the supervision of staff affiliated with the same municipality.[/size]
[size=45]Samawah Governorate is the only city that adopted this initiative four years ago, as it established a special natural reserve for deer, which began by adding 10 deer, while today the numbers have reached hundreds, according to Al-Murshidi. Among other animals threatened with extinction due to climate change: Wild cow, lion, wild ass, brown rat, white bulbul, sand gazelle.[/size]
[size=45]Government initiatives are not on the horizon[/size]
[size=45]The presence of many animals on the land of Mesopotamia has contributed to the enrichment of biological diversity, especially considering Iraq is the true home of many of them. This diversity has led to the recognition of many southern sites as international protection areas in accordance with the Ramsar Convention, which is concerned with the preservation of natural resources and wetlands, and the protection of endangered animals and birds.[/size]
[size=45]A member of the Chibaish Ecotourism Organization, journalist Alaa Kouri, talks about the damage to biodiversity in the marshland areas due to climate change, and confirms that it is “the most affected due to the region’s heavy dependence on water, as most of its residents work in the profession of fishing and livestock raising.”[/size]
[size=45]He added in his interview with (Al-Mada), “The death of more than 5,000 buffalo heads was recorded, and nearly 3,000 hunters were affected, and the negative features of climate change were reflected in migratory birds and life in the water,” and he described the condition of the marsh areas as “completely devastated.”[/size]
[size=45]Cory believes that the government measures taken to combat climate change “do not fit the seriousness of the problem,” and expressed his dissatisfaction with the failure of government agencies to take urgent solutions to prevent population migration or provide them with alternative solutions, at the very least.[/size]
[size=45]He confirms that Iraq contains many areas that support the livelihood of animals, but today they lack all the requirements for livelihood, warning of “the extinction of the deer, as they are the most affected by climate change.”[/size]
[size=45]The long-tailed raccoon is one of the most prominent species that was found in the marsh areas, but it has been exposed to extinction due to the drying operations that occurred previously, according to what Currie added, who indicated that it was found by chance during the year 2021. He continues his talk about other species: “The water jackal, which does not live in any part of the world other than the marshes of southern Iraq, and due to the drying up of the marshes and overfishing as a result of the high global price of its skin, it has become one of the animals currently threatened with extinction.” The World Health Organization confirmed that Iraqi fish are threatened with extinction, while calling for unifying the efforts of the relevant authorities and finding solutions to the drought. Fish production in Iraq declined from 800,000 tons in 2022 to 400,000 tons in 2023. This means that the Iraqi family is at risk of losing “Masgouf” from their tables![/size]
[size=45]Launching environmental documents[/size]
[size=45]The Director General of the Awareness and Information Department at the Ministry of Environment, Amir Ali Hassoun, speaks about the most prominent measures taken by the Ministry in the field of combating climate change during 2022, saying that “this year witnessed the conduct of large-scale awareness campaigns, targeting decision-makers in Iraqi ministries and bodies, especially in “Senior and middle management and general agents.”[/size]
[size=45]He added his words to Al Mada, stressing the continuation of awareness campaigns during the beginning of the new year, pointing out the targeting of local governments with their new administrations.[/size]
[size=45]Hassoun adds, “The department formed a committee headed by the Technical Undersecretary and the membership of a number of officials in the Ministry of Education, in addition to the Director General of the Awareness Department in the Ministry,” indicating that the committee aims to change the scientific curricula for primary and secondary studies, to include information about climate change.[/size]
[size=45]Hassoun stressed the ministry’s keenness to implement the national contributions document, which is linked to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, revealing that the ministry will launch in the coming days “the appropriate mitigation plan document, and the 2024 technology needs document, which is considered one of the national documents for climate change, and reflects the government’s approach to dealing with climate change.” “.[/size]
[size=45]What does Iraq aspire to environmentally?[/size]
[size=45]For his part, the Director of the Climate Change Division in the Kirkuk Environment Directorate, Dr. Muhammad Khader, speaks about some of the factors that exacerbated the environmental situation in the country, including, according to what he said: “The destruction caused by successive wars and the materials, weapons, and mines they left behind, as Iraq has become a suitable environment.” To study the impact of armed conflicts on the environment, in addition to the construction of massive dams in violation of the laws by the countries bordering Iraq and their adoption of unfair policies, which caused the exacerbation of environmental problems as a result of high levels of salinity and drought.” He also considered that the population increase had put pressure on natural resources.[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the government plan to combat climate change, Khader explained during his talk to (Al Mada), that “Iraq is working on preparing the national adaptation plan in cooperation with the United Nations and with funding from the Green Climate Fund, and it is one of the basic plans for government work,” noting that its goal is to achieve “ Flexibility for all fragile sectors and finding effective means to sustain water sources and address water scarcity and deterioration, for a maximum period of three years.”[/size]
[size=45]He acknowledges the need to create regional and international cooperation to enable Iraq to “establish healthy systems that are resistant to difficult conditions, and to protect human health and biodiversity.” By implementing its nationally determined contributions for the period from 2021 to 2030, Iraq aspires to achieve an expected reduction of between (1-2) percent of total emissions according to national inventories of greenhouse gases through the national effort and 15% when international financial and technical support is available, according to what the director stated. Environment of Kirkuk.[/size]
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