In September Iraq announced a six year national environmental strategy. While having backing of the international community it is unlikely to go anywhere like Iraq’s economic plans.
Iraq released its strategic environment plan that is to run from 2024-2030. It is supported by the United Nations and the United State Agency for International Development. It will focus on conservating water and fighting water pollution. It will work on sewage and recycling irrigation water. It will start projects to collect rainwater, push the use of modern irrigation methods, and develop renewable energy. It depends upon $1 billion a year in investments.
The country is in desperate need of government action to fight climate change. Every week there are stories about how bad things are going. On September 6 Agence France Presse reported that the date industry, Iraq’s second largest export commodity is threatened by the rising temperatures. The day before The National had an article on Lake Habaniya a once popular tourist attraction in Anbar was drying up due to four years of drought. Finally, Al Aalem talked about how Irbil province was facing drought as well with water shortages due to lower levels coming down the Great Zab River and exacerbated by new housing construction and population growth in Irbil city.
The idea that Baghdad will be able to garner $1 billion a year is the first major flaw in the plan. Iraq has some on going solar power projects but big picture the country is a bad investment. Corruption, red tape, lack of qualified officials and contradictory rules means many firms are reluctant to spend their money in Iraq. On top of that there are hundreds of projects that are started and never finished because of all the problems in the nation.
Second the government often issues programs and never follows through with them. The economic plans are an example. Every few years Baghdad says it will diversify the economy away from oil and promote the private sector and then the government does the exact opposite by doubling down on petroleum. That’s because the elite are not interested in any real changes in the economy. They profit from the energy business by robbing the state and any reforms could threaten that. They also have no real concept of economics.
The inadequacies of the authorities are shown by their current lack of action and tendency to issue false statements. On May 1 for instance Water Minister Aoun Diab said that water reserves were in good condition and that he would release more water from dams for farming. He also claimed he had a plan to fight drought in coming years. However just two days before a spokesman for the ministry told the media that water reserves were only at 22%. This fits the pattern of Iraqi officials over promising and under delivering.
All together this means the environmental strategy is likely dead on arrival. Little will be done and Iraq will continue down the path towards crisis despite all the dire warnings.
SOURCES
Al Aalem, “Drought hits Erbil … and water wells deepen the crisis,” 9/3/24
Agence France Presse, “Climate change threatens Iraq’s dates, a country once known as “30 million palm trees,” Iraqi News, 9/6/24
Al Hurra, “Iraq announces its strategic plan to preserve the environment,” 9/18/24
Al Mada, “Iraq between stalled projects and postponed promises: years of endless waiting,” 9/18/24
The National, “From lush to dust: Iraq’s Lake Habbaniyah continues to dry up,” 9/5/24
Al Rafidain, “Ministry Of Water Resources: Iraq’s Water Reserves Do Not Exceed 22%, Despite The Rain And Floods,” 4/29/24
Rudaw, “Iraq water reserves in ‘good’ condition: Minister,” 5/1/24
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