Latest news with #NatureIraq
The Independent
15-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
At least 1800 hospitalised in Iraq as sandstorm halts flights and triggers power outages
Sandstorms in central and southern Iraq have led to the hospitalisation of more than 1,800 people due to respiratory issues, health officials said. Mazen al-Egeili, a local official in the Muthanna province in the south of the country told AFP news agency that at least 700 people were hospitalised due to suffocation on Monday. Iraq's environment ministry had earlier warned that the country might see more such 'dust days'. In the Najaf province, authorities told the outlet that over 250 people were taken to the hospital over breathing difficulties and at least 322 people were taken to local hospitals in Diwaniyah province. Reports suggest there were several children among the afflicted. In the Dhi Qar and Basra provinces, health authorities reported at least 530 people were hospitalised. Airports in the southern provinces of Najaf and Basra were temporarily shut as visibility was severely impaired due to the sandstorm – deemed to be the biggest this year. Visibility was low as dust covered the streets and landmarks and drivers reportedly kept car headlights on to see the road. Sandstorms in Iraq are common but experts say that climate crisis is making them more severe and frequent. United Nations says that Iraq is one of the five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change. According to experts, sandstorms are also exacerbated by low rainfall and desertification. According to the Iraqi ministry of environment, desertification has ravaged 71 per cent of the country's arable land. It says that an additional 10,000 hectares are becoming barren each year. Footage shared on social media and local media outlets showed people wearing face masks to protect themselves against the dust. Paramedics were reportedly stationed in public places in the affected provinces to assist people facing difficulties in breathing. The sandstorm also led to power outages in the affected provinces. According to local weather services, conditions are expected to get better by Tuesday. In 2022, one person died due to a severe sandstorm in Iraq and at least 5000 were hospitalised. At the time, Azzam Alwash, head of the Nature Iraq non-profit organisation, told AP that 'climate change alone doesn't give the whole picture' and that inappropriate farming practices and mismanagement of water resources have contributed to the problems. 'Climate change has become a very convenient excuse for officials to avoid responsibility for not taking action over the last 20 to 40 years,' he said. Desertification and rising water salinity are also factors, Mr Alwash said at the time. 'These are policy issues.' The World Bank has warned that Iraq could suffer a 20 per cent drop in water resources by 2050.
Rudaw Net
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
95% fish, 30% buffalos in Iraq's marshes are lost: NGO
Also in Iraq Kurdistan's oil exports to resume 'in coming hours': oil ministry Oil producers welcome Rubio's efforts to restart Kurdish exports Iraq welcomes Ocalan's call for PKK's dissolution Iraq among top 15 countries most affected by climate change: PM advisor A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has lost 95 percent of the fish in its marshes and nearly 30 percent of its buffalos due to climate change, the head of an environmental non-governmental organization said on Thursday. 'Nearly 30 percent of our buffalos in the wetlands are lost, and 95 percent of the fish in those areas have disappeared. Sometimes, buffalo shepherds are forced to migrate five times a year within their own wetlands,' Jassim al-Asadi, the head of Nature Iraq, said at Erbil Forum 2025. Some buffalo farmers are moving north to the cities of Kut, Karbala, Babil, and Najaf, he said. Iraq, which regularly suffers from water shortages, has seen less rainfall this winter compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Agriculture announced in late January. 'We still are not in a drought period. We are in a poor period, but we are just a step before going into a drought period," said Torhan al-Mufti, an advisor to the Iraqi prime minister on water. 'If we have a good season, it means we will need 90 billion cubic meters per year. In a poor season or drought, we will need 50 billion.' Zaki Shubber, a lawyer and international expert in freshwater law and conflict resolution, said that most of the products we use are closely tied to water resources and noted the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the risk of their decline due to climate challenges. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are key water sources for Iraq. About 75 percent of Iraq's water comes from neighboring Iran and Turkey, and 20 to 25 percent is from internal sources. Both neighboring countries have built numerous dams on these shared rivers. Iraq does not have a comprehensive water-sharing agreement with either country. Water scarcity is a critical issue in Iraq, threatening all aspects of society. According to the United Nations Global Environment Outlook 6, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country globally to reduced water availability and extreme temperatures, based on data from 2020–2021.
