Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid stated that climate change has displaced historic heritage communities in Iraq, with its effects now clearly felt across the country.

Rashid's remarks came during his speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, which focuses on funding clean energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, reducing harmful emissions, and strengthening community resilience to climate change amid increasing climate-related disasters.

"Climate change impacts are clear in Iraq, with record heatwaves, dust storms, and reduced rainfall causing shrinking water bodies, loss of green spaces, and rising drought, desertification, and land and biodiversity degradation," Rashid said.

In this context, he confirmed that “these climate changes have displaced traditional heritage communities, including the marshland inhabitants of southern Iraq, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose traditions now face extinction,” urging regional countries impacted by climate change and related response efforts to form a negotiating group to coordinate joint actions.

“Iraq, a country whose economy heavily depends on fossil fuels, is impacted both by climate change and the measures taken to combat it,” he explained. “The Iraqi government has prepared national documents and strategies to support Iraq's voluntary commitments under the Paris Agreement, including the Technology Needs Assessment (TNAs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMAs) documents to identify the country's climate technology needs.”

Rashid further pointed out that Iraq is nearing completion of its Climate Investment Plan, aimed at creating practical pathways for the public and private sectors to meet climate commitments by attracting investments and securing financial resources to tackle climate challenges and promote sustainability.