Najaf struggles with waste crisis as most landfills remain unauthorized

NAJAF — The Najaf Environment Directorate said the governorate is grappling with a severe waste management crisis, with more than 24 landfill sites in use — most of them unauthorized and environmentally noncompliant.

Officials said the city generates between 1,200 and 1,300 tons of solid waste daily, straining a system they described as “poor” due to the absence of properly regulated landfills.

Jamal Abd Zaid, director of the Najaf Environment Office, told 964media that only one site — Ayoun Al-Shajeeg, located in the Bahr Al-Najaf area — received official environmental approval in 2014. However, he said the site remains insufficient in capacity and functionality. Another facility, the northern intermediate waste station near the Hawali area, is also officially approved but suffers from mismanagement.

“Most landfill sites are temporary government plots used by municipalities, whether inside or outside official city planning zones, which constitutes an environmental violation,” Abd Zaid said. He added that the burning of waste at these sites releases toxic and carcinogenic gases, including dioxins.

The environment directorate has issued warnings, fines, and site closures in response to these violations, citing Iraq’s environmental protection laws.

Najaf Municipality spokesperson Bashar Al-Sudani said local authorities are working to eliminate waste dumps from residential neighborhoods. “A recent meeting chaired by the governor and attended by both the environment and municipality directors outlined plans to relocate these sites outside the city,” he said.

Sudani added that several stations have already been shut down and that regulated landfill sites are now fenced and monitored with thermal cameras. “There are currently no reports of burning at regulated landfill sites due to these security measures, including cooperation with civil defense and local security forces,” he said.