Shafaq News- Basra

Iraq will take legal action against international oil companies operating in Basra over pollution linked to their activities, Environment Minister Sarwa Abdulwahid said on Monday, urging them to clean up environmental damage and take responsibility in proportion to the billions of dollars they earn from Iraq's oil industry.

Speaking at a news conference alongside Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani, Abdulwahid reported the ministry had found "very serious negative indicators" and called on companies to apply the same environmental standards in Iraq as they do in their home countries.

"We will take strict and decisive measures against the companies starting today," Abdulwahid said, outlining plans for ministry visits to Basra Oil Company and an oil field to assess environmental conditions and investigate pollution linked to oil operations.

Addressing Basra's wider environmental challenges, Abdulwahid expressed hope that the province's economic growth and reconstruction would go hand in hand with better environmental protection, with the aim of making it one of Iraq's cleanest provinces.

She also acknowledged that efforts to curb pollution had made some progress but remained at an early stage. Some hospitals have installed biological treatment units, she noted, while solid waste management still needs improvement, including through the provision of shredding equipment.

Regarding sewage and wastewater, Abdulwahid said some treatment plants had been completed, while others remained under construction. However, problems persisted, particularly concerning the Zaytouna River. Abdulwahid said the governor had expressed readiness to complete the procedures for plants that had not yet entered service.

Basra's Provincial Council has also agreed to provide air-quality monitoring stations, while the Environmental Protection and Improvement Council has approved water-quality monitoring stations. "The equipment will help the ministry track pollution levels and assess environmental conditions," she added.

Turning to water pollution, Abdulwahid outlined efforts to tackle contamination at its source, including pollutants carried by water from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), as part of a broader initiative to clean up the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

She also drew attention to the dangers posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance, describing Basra as one of Iraq's most heavily contaminated provinces, but provided no further details on the extent of the contamination.

Read more: Toxic sewage flows overwhelm Iraq’s declining waterways