Iraq faces a critical environmental crisis as desertification and land degradation continue to threaten agricultural viability, with only 14 million dunams of land remaining suitable for farming, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Environment.
The alarming statistics reveal that 71 percent of arable land in Iraq has already succumbed to desertification, while an additional 100,000 dunams of land become infertile annually due to this phenomenon.
Desertification not only jeopardizes Iraq’s agricultural productivity but also poses a significant threat to the environment and climate. The resultant dust storms not only degrade air quality but also endanger the health of Iraqis.
Iraq ranks among the top five countries most affected by climate change, with projections indicating a substantial increase in average temperatures by 2050. Additionally, UNESCO identifies Iraq as the 12th most impacted country by groundwater depletion, forecasting a loss of 20 percent of its groundwater by 2050.
