Shafaq News – Mosul
The construction in agricultural and green areas in Mosul has been halted until the Iraqi cabinet’s Decision 320 is fully implemented, A senior official in Mosul’s municipality said on Monday.
Firas Muhannad, the municipality’s deputy director, told Shafaq News that any building activity in these areas is considered a violation of the city’s approved master plan, noting that Decision 320 provides a legal framework for regulating informal settlements and unplanned residential clusters within urban areas.
“The municipality is bound by the master plan and cannot authorize construction in these zones until the decision is formally applied,” Muhannad said, urging residents not to begin any unlicensed work that could expose them to legal consequences.
The Iraqi cabinet has approved procedures for enforcing Decision 320 of 2022, which allows the reclassification of land within city master plans from agricultural to residential use. The measure aims to regulate informal housing and grant ownership rights to current occupants. It covers all state-owned land, including property held by the Ministry of Finance, public companies, and land with existing usage rights, which will be resolved before being transferred to municipal authorities.
Once the decision takes effect, construction on agricultural and green land will become legal under defined regulations, Muhannad said, adding that residents must wait until all administrative steps are completed.
Earlier in January, the Director of Mosul Municipality, Abdul Sattar Al-Habbo explained that this year will witness the completion of planting 25,000 trees in the northern forest and 14,000 in the southern forest, adding that "even lands under the authority of other governmental entities, such as the Ministry of Education, will not be permitted for leasing."
Over 150,000 trees have been lost since Mosul’s liberation in 2017, leaving approximately 70,000 trees, including eucalyptus, sycamore, and pine. Wildlife such as parrots and migratory birds has largely disappeared.