Iraq Launches Initiative to Plant 5 Million Trees to Combat Desertification

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced today, Sunday, the launch of a tree-planting initiative to combat desertification and dust storms in a country suffering from the effects of climate change and water scarcity. During the opening of the Iraq Climate Conference held on Sunday and Monday in the city of Basra, located in the far south of the country, and in the presence of ambassadors and United Nations officials, al-Sudani stated that climate changes characterized by "increased temperatures, reduced rainfall, and the rise of dust storms, along with a decrease in green spaces, have threatened food security, health, the environment, and community security." He highlighted a statement from his office noting that "more than seven million citizens have been affected by drought in their regions, with hundreds of thousands displaced due to the loss of their livelihoods dependent on agriculture and fishing."