Shafaq News – Baghdad

Baghdad’s Karrada municipality on Wednesday issued urgent orders to protect the decades-old trees lining Abu Nuwas Street, following Shafaq News reports warning of their possible removal during ongoing development work.

Once a cultural hub on the Tigris River, the street has suffered years of neglect. A renovation launched in 2011 stalled after its first stage concluded in 2023. A second stage, announced in June by Mayor Ammar Musa Kazem, proposed a corniche, green space, parking, and inclusive recreational areas but was frozen by funding shortfalls.

Residents and urban planners describe the promenade as degraded and poorly maintained, calling its condition “shameful” given its environmental and cultural significance. Concerns grew last month when locals warned that road expansion could endanger mature trees—considered the “lungs of Baghdad” and among the few remaining central green spaces.

In response, the municipality invoked environmental protection laws to prohibit cutting or damaging the trees. Officials have begun placing warning signs on tree trunks, reinforcing their legal status and urging public vigilance.

Read more: Once revived, now neglected: Baghdad’s Abu Nuwas Street struggles again