Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
On Tuesday, participants at a conference attended by environmental organizations and forest police in the Kurdistan Region called for the creation of a special environmental court and tougher penalties for environmental and forest violations as heavy winter rainfall increased fears of summer wildfires.
The proposals were presented during the launch of a national environmental and forest protection strategy organized in Al-Sulaymaniyah by Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies and the Ayinda Organization for Environmental Protection following months of consultations with relevant authorities.
Sakar Sadiq, head of the Future Environment Organization, said during the conference that abundant rainfall this winter led to significant growth in trees and vegetation, increasing the likelihood of seasonal fires across the Kurdistan Region.
Recommendations presented during the conference included banning the public sale of firewood, prosecuting unauthorized tree cutting for heating and recreation, installing surveillance cameras in forests and tourist sites, and increasing staffing and funding for environmental institutions and civil society organizations. Participants also called for wider environmental education campaigns in schools, parks, and public spaces to strengthen public awareness of forest and environmental protection.
Iraq is considered among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, facing rising temperatures, desertification, drought, and recurring fires. Global Forest Watch recorded more than 1,680 high-confidence fire alerts across the country in 2026 so far, while a 2025 wildfire analysis by PAX found more than 120,000 hectares of land had burned across the Kurdistan Region in recent years.
A separate 2025 regional wildfire study found fire activity in the Kurdistan Region had more than doubled since 2010, with Al-Sulaymaniyah and Duhok accounting for most cumulative forest losses.
Read more: Kurdistan’s forests under threat: War, climate, and efforts to rebuild