Residents of Talan Village Mobilize to Protect Forests as Illegal Logging Persists
Sulaymaniyah
Villagers in Dukan district unite to protect forests, report illegal logging
SULAYMANIYAH — Residents of Talan village in the Dukan District have taken it upon themselves to protect local forests by monitoring and reporting illegal logging. The grassroots effort comes amid ongoing deforestation that has devastated large swaths of the region.
“For some time now, illegal tree cutting has been a problem in our village, and it’s only gotten worse,” one resident told 964media. “Our environment is being destroyed, so the village council decided we, the residents, will oversee the area ourselves to stop the cutting of green trees and prevent such activities.”
Under the plan, villagers have shared contact information with local shepherds who keep watch for unauthorized activity. “In addition to our own monitoring, the shepherds patrol the area and immediately notify the village council if they see anyone cutting trees,” the resident said. “Legal action is then initiated against those responsible.”
Over the past year, about 100 green trees — mostly oak between 15 and 20 years old — have been illegally cut down in the area. The villagers say they have no objection to cutting dry trees, as permitted by forest police, but insist that cutting green trees is illegal and harmful to the environment.
“Protecting the environment isn’t just our responsibility — it’s everyone’s,” the resident said. “For years, we’ve cooperated with the forest police, alerting them to any violations in our village. Given how large Dukan’s villages are, it’s challenging for them to monitor everything, so we continue to support their efforts.”
Some 30 households live in the two parts of Talan village. Since the start of the year, the Forest and Environmental Police Directorate in Sulaymaniyah has arrested 20 individuals in connection with illegal logging throughout the governorate.
The latest arrest occurred Jan. 17, when a suspect from the Said Sadiq district was apprehended while loading freshly cut logs onto a pickup truck, according to the directorate’s Facebook page.
“Within just 17 days, we’ve detained 20 individuals involved in illegal logging in Sulaymaniyah,” the directorate said, adding that arrest warrants have been issued for additional suspects.
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has lost about half of its forests over the last 70 years, a decline attributed to illegal logging, forest fires worsened by drought, and military operations near the northern border.