Shafaq News

Iraq stands on the brink of an environmental disaster, with nearly 60 percent of its territory either already desert or undergoing rapid desertification. The Green Iraq Observatory has warned that reversing this trend demands an unprecedented effort: the planting of 15 billion trees. But as drought intensifies, air quality worsens, and communities are forced to leave their lands, the scale of the crisis is rapidly outpacing national mitigation efforts.

Land Losing Life

Desertification in Iraq has expanded significantly over the past decade—from 30 percent of the country’s land to more than 42 percent today. When naturally arid areas are included, roughly three-fifths of the country now suffers from land degradation. This transformation threatens not only Iraq’s agricultural base, but also its ecological balance and societal stability.

“We must reverse this by transforming degraded areas into green zones through massive tree planting,” Omar Abdul-Latif from the Green Iraq Observatory told Shafaq News. He identified climate-resilient species like conifers and Dodonaea as ideal candidates, able to survive harsh conditions while serving as natural barriers against dust storms and wind erosion.

But desertification is more than a matter of dust and trees—it reflects a deeper environmental unraveling. In Baghdad, air pollution has reached hazardous levels, with high concentrations of gases such as carbon dioxide. “Baghdad has become unfit for living,” Abdul-Latif warned, urging rapid intervention in both rural and urban areas.

Heat Without Relief

Desertification in Iraq is not a new phenomenon, but it has worsened dramatically in recent decades due to climate change and human-induced pressures. While the country lies in a naturally arid zone, decades of environmental mismanagement have deepened the crisis.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes that the Middle East and North Africa region is warming at twice the global average. Rainfall is diminishing, and extreme heat waves are becoming more common.

In Iraq, annual precipitation has declined to as little as 5–15 centimeters, with summer temperatures frequently exceeding 50°C. These shifts have heightened water stress, accelerated land degradation, and driven a destructive cycle of agricultural decline and environmental breakdown.

Farms to Fallout

The consequences are starkest in Iraq’s central and southern regions. Formerly fertile farmland is now barren, and rural migration is rising sharply. In Dhi Qar province, desertification is now the main cause of displacement, according to the Observatory.

Over 70 percent of Iraq’s agricultural land has also become unproductive. Environmental researcher Haider Rashad Al-Rubaie warned that the crisis is expanding, with more fertile zones at risk across multiple provinces.

While he acknowledged that aridity is natural in areas like Al-Samawah and Al-Anbar, he emphasized that poor land management and weakening rural economies have made the situation far worse.

Among the major drivers are unregulated well-drilling, the rapid spread of unauthorized fish farms, and the conversion of farmland into residential zones. In Basra, saltwater intrusion—exacerbated by decreased river flow—is pushing desertification northward.

“Wars and the use of prohibited weapons raised air temperatures,” noted environmental expert Iqbal Lateef, in an interview with our agency. “At the same time, uncontrolled well drilling, violations of water quotas, and illegal land conversion have driven the crisis.”

Scattered State Action

Bassim Kanaan Abdul-Jabbar, head of the Forests and Desertification Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, said a nationwide assessment is underway. “We are working with the Environment, Water Resources, and Industry Ministries, alongside the Desert Studies Center, to develop policy recommendations,” he told Shafaq News.

The ministry has also begun deploying field interventions—using clay to stabilize sand dunes, digging trenches, constructing berms, and planting trees adapted to extreme heat and drought. A flagship sand stabilization project is already active in Dhi Qar, and there are plans to plant resilient tree species along major highways in the south.

Still, Abdul-Jabbar emphasized that desertification is not the burden of one institution alone. “This is a national challenge that requires high-level coordination among ministries.”

More Than Climate Crisis

Although climate change is a major driver, Iraq’s desertification crisis is rooted in structural and governance failures. Experts point to weak enforcement of land-use regulations, outdated irrigation methods, and insufficient investment in green infrastructure as factors that have compounded the problem.

“The crisis cannot be solved through local action alone,” warned Lateef. “Government diplomacy with upstream countries is essential to securing sufficient water flows.” Iraq depends heavily on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, both of which originate in Turkiye and Iran. Dam construction in both countries has slashed Iraq’s water intake by up to 80 percent.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) stresses the importance of transboundary water management in dryland regions. While Iraq recently reached an agreement with Turkiye on water cooperation, it has yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, binding deals that guarantee reliable water releases from Iran remain elusive despite years of negotiations.

Future in Peril

The Strategic Studies Center reports that 90 percent of Iraq now lies within arid or semi-arid zones. Rainfall continues to decline, and evaporation rates are surging. Without rapid and coordinated action, experts caution of looming agricultural collapse, widespread displacement, and deteriorating public health.

“The solutions are known,” Abdul-Latif concluded. “But the challenge lies in the will and capacity to implement them at the scale required.”

Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.