Iraq surpasses tree-planting target, advancing climate resilience efforts

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday that it has successfully planted over 6.4 million trees across the country in the last 18 months, surpassing the initial goal of five million trees set by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani. The initiative began in March 2023 during the “Iraq for Climate” conference in Basra and is part of broader efforts to combat climate change.

“The project has been fully completed, and we have even surpassed our target,” said Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Khuzai. “We collaborated with local governments, institutions, universities, and civil society organizations to carry out this campaign within the specified timeframe.”

The tree-planting campaign, focusing on a variety of species including drought-resistant trees like palm, citrus, acacia, eucalyptus, and willow, aims to bolster Iraq’s resilience to climate-related challenges. This initiative runs concurrently with other greening projects, such as creating green belts around cities.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani launched the campaign at the Iraq for Climate conference, highlighting the severe environmental challenges Iraq faces, such as rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and increased dust storms. “Climate change threatens our food, health, and environmental security, as well as societal stability,” Al-Sudani stated, emphasizing the urgent need for expanded environmental efforts.

The United Nations ranks Iraq as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change impacts, which include severe risks from water scarcity, drought, extreme temperatures, and pollution. By the end of 2021, water shortages had already displaced over 20,000 Iraqis, underscoring the critical need for sustainable and effective climate resilience measures.