Iraqi MP Mudhar Maen revealed today, Friday, the progress in activating the proposal for the "Environmental Fund Project", emphasizing the necessity of treating the environment as a national security priority, especially with the loss of 40% of green belts and sand dune barriers over the past twenty years. In a statement to "Baghdad Today", Maen expressed concern over the severe climate changes Iraq has been experiencing in recent years, particularly with recent studies from various centers highlighting their significant impact on the country's environment, amidst shrinking water supplies, an expansion of desertification, and the rising threat of sand dunes affecting six provinces.
He noted that "the environment must be treated as a part of the country's national security priorities, aiming to establish the Environmental Fund that will secure necessary funding for real projects aimed at stopping desertification and building barriers against sand dunes, as well as revitalizing green belts in more than 40 sites across the west, north, south, and east of the country."
He pointed out that Iraq has lost over 40% of its traditional green belts since 2003 due to land clearing, desertification, pests, neglect, security disturbances, and fires. He also mentioned that "funding for the Environmental Fund should be sourced from a specific percentage of provincial budgets, in addition to collecting donations on a scale that allows for real possibilities to start projects ensuring environmental support, following a roadmap that goes beyond agriculture to ensure sustainability in care."
He continued that "the project will soon be presented to the Prime Minister to proceed according to the established protocols, as this issue is of utmost importance."
Out of more than 130 million acres of land in Iraq, approximately 95 million acres are desertified, while more than 27 million acres are at risk of desertification. Additionally, only 12 million acres are suitable for agriculture, with Iraq losing over 200,000 acres of arable land annually due to desertification.
