President Barzani urges Baghdad to budget for climate change

Shafaq News / On Sunday, President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani called upon Baghdad to allocate a budget to confront climate change and mitigate its effects on the country, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad in this regard.

Speaking at the opening of the conference on drought, climate change, and economic and demographic policies in Iraq, personally sponsored by him in Erbil, President Barzani highlighted that "Iraq is the fifth country impacted by climate change, affecting various aspects of life in Region and the entire country, leading to desertification and loss of agricultural lands."

He emphasized, "We are annually losing hundreds of thousands of hectars, in addition to continuously decreasing surface and groundwater, weakening food security, and witnessing migration from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to foreign countries."

He noted that "in recent years, internal migration has occurred, with 130,000 residents leaving their areas of residence in Iraq, migrating to other areas, in addition to social security damage, increased poverty rates, and rising health problems due to climate change and drought."

Barzani also pointed out that "the current situation has made it impossible for Iraq to address these problems, and we in Iraq and Kurdistan need to act quickly to develop short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans to confront the risks of climate change and prevent its impacts." He emphasized that "this issue should be a priority and there should be more seriousness in the policies and plans of Baghdad and Erbil ."

He added, "It is necessary to secure a budget from the federal government to confront the impacts of climate change, grant specialized institutions in this field broader powers, and develop an educational curriculum that gives greater attention to confronting climate change, preserving the environment, and preventing water pollution." He stressed the importance of raising awareness within society by educational centers, intellectuals, academics, and religious figures within the framework of environmental protection education.

Nechirvan Barzani continued, "Given that Iraq has more water sources than neighboring countries, it is imperative to give significant attention to this issue to ensure water security," noting that "the situation must be addressed, and cooperation with neighboring countries and the world as a whole is necessary to confront climate change."

The President of the Region proposed the development of a comprehensive national plan to address this problem, adding, "The Kurdistan Region has many water sources, and it is necessary to establish dams and water storage projects."

Nechirvan Barzani urged the Iraqi government to assist and support the Kurdistan Regional Government in building dams and reservoirs, contributing to water storage and reducing climate change concerns, calling on the Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid to assist the Region in this field.