Baghdad to launch largest tree-planting campaign this fall

BAGHDAD — The Baghdad Municipality will launch its largest tree-planting campaign during the upcoming fall season, spokesperson Uday Al-Jundeel said Saturday.

“The Baghdad Municipality is preparing to launch the largest tree-planting campaign during the coming fall season,” Al-Jundeel told the state news agency, adding that the capital’s green belt project is more than 95% complete. He described it as “a promising initiative” that will create urban forests as a barrier against dust and sandstorms.

Al-Jundeel said the project, the first of its kind in Baghdad, uses treated wastewater for irrigation. “The largest wastewater treatment plant has been established in the Al-Saqlawiyah area to convert water into a usable source for irrigation,” he said. The targeted area, between Al-Mansour district and Abu Ghraib, covers 940 dunams and will be planted with perennial trees suited to Baghdad’s hot climate.

He said the plan includes public spaces and a smart irrigation system that supplies water as needed. “One million trees will be planted in [the former] Al-Rasheed military camp, which covers 5,000 dunams — about five times the size of Al-Zawraa Park,” he said.

The municipality is also working on the third phase of developing the Abu Nuwas area to expand green spaces and add 17 new attractions.

On Aug. 20, 2024, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture said it had planted more than 6.4 million trees across the country in 18 months, exceeding the original five million target set by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani. The campaign, launched in March 2023 during the “Iraq for Climate” conference in Basra, is part of wider measures to address climate change.