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Shafaq News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
New life for ancient rivers: Iraq's water initiative gains UN acclaim
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani unveiled a regional initiative to protect the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as Iraq faces one of its most critical water crises in decades. Speaking at the 5th Baghdad International Water Conference, held on Saturday under the theme Water and Technology: Partnership for Development, al-Sudani outlined a strategy focused on joint water management, modernized irrigation, and cross-border cooperation. 'We live through economic, social, and security challenges, all of which depend on the availability of water,' al-Sudani said. 'This is not just an infrastructure issue—it touches every part of life and demands collective responsibility.' The initiative drew praise from Marco Arcieri, president of the UN-affiliated International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), who commended Iraq's historic leadership in water systems. 'Iraq has always been a pioneer in water management,' Arcieri said. 'With today's technologies and regional collaboration, it can lead once again.' He emphasized that global partners are actively supporting Iraq in deploying advanced technologies to bolster water and food security. Iraq's water supply has been shrinking rapidly. Flows from the Tigris and Euphrates—its main water sources—have dropped by up to 40% due to upstream dams, climate change, and prolonged droughts, leading to shrinking reservoirs, dying farmlands, polluted water, and the growing displacement of rural communities. Supporting the prime minister's call, Water Resources Minister Aoun Diab described Iraq as one of the most water-stressed nations in the world, grappling with 'complex and overlapping challenges.' 'The biggest threat isn't just water scarcity—it's the lack of cooperation,' Diab said, urging neighboring countries to engage in joint river basin management. Diab also noted that Iraq is pursuing a plan to improve water governance and align with sustainable development goals. Speaking on behalf of President Abdul Latif Rashid, Presidential Advisor Mohammed Amin underscored Iraq's downstream vulnerability in both river basins, calling for a binding agreement with Turkiye to secure a fair water share. 'This is not a temporary challenge—it is a national crisis,' Amin said, adding that climate change and unregulated water usage are accelerating the problem.
Rudaw Net
16-05-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Green Climate Fund approves Iraq's $1.3bn climate program
Also in Iraq Iraqi electoral body to open candidate registration May 25 Over 100 public figures denounce trial of Kirkuk Kurdish farmer as 'political' UN hails Iraq's repatriations from Syria ISIS detention camps Erdogan vows to monitor PKK disarmament, thanks Trump for lifting Syria sanctions A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations-affiliated Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved Iraq's $1.3 billion climate program, a five-year initiative that includes 18 projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the impacts of climate change across the country, Iraqi officials said on Thursday. 'The program aims to reduce the impacts of climate change and covers all provinces of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region,' said Iraqi Environment Minister Halo Askari. The goal of the program is to help Iraq meet the commitments it made when it joined the Paris Climate Agreement and is part of Iraq's broader effort to enhance its climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. It includes measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, industrial and transport sectors, as well as to adapt to climate change in the fields of agriculture and water resources, Askari said. GCF, established in 2010, is a UN-affiliated initiative that finances climate-related projects in developing countries with backing from UN member states. Yousif Muayad, director general of the Climate Change Directorate at Iraq's Ministry of Environment, told Rudaw the five-year program includes a range of projects involving the ministries of agriculture, municipalities, water resources and other government bodies. One proposed initiative, he said, focuses on 'planting trees and establishing green belts across the provinces.' 'We have proposed projects to the fund requiring $1.3 billion to secure our budget, and they have approved our program, but it's unclear whether all the proposed projects will be accepted,' Muayad explained. A delegation from the fund is expected to visit Iraq in September to make a final decision on the proposed projects. The program builds on a $39 million project approved by the GCF in October 2024 to strengthen climate resilience among vulnerable agricultural communities. That project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aimed to improve the livelihoods of two million Iraqis through better water management, modern irrigation systems, and renewable energy solutions. The UN's Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO-6) ranked Iraq as the fifth most vulnerable country globally to reduced water availability and extreme temperatures, based on data from 2020 to 2021. Torhan al-Mufti, an advisor to the prime minister, told Rudaw in an interview in March that 'Iraq is among the 15 most climate-affected countries globally,' adding that the country is going through a period of water scarcity but has not slid into drought yet.
Arab Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Kuwait has taken tangible steps to enhance food security and safety: Health Minister
KUWAIT CITY, May 13: Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi affirmed on Tuesday that Kuwait has taken significant steps to bolster its food security and safety framework, beginning with the launch of the National Food Security Strategy and the update of regulations governing imported foods and school canteens. Speaking at the opening of the 4th Annual Food Safety and Nutrition Summit, Dr. Al-Awadhi emphasized Kuwait's commitment to improving food systems. The two-day summit, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is organized by the Ministry of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, and the US Embassy in Kuwait. It includes broad participation from representatives across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Dr. Al-Awadhi highlighted that the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition regularly conducts inspection campaigns and monitors facilities across Kuwait's governorates to foster a culture of prevention and ensure adherence to the highest safety standards. He stressed that ensuring universal access to safe and adequate food, along with improving nutrition and its safety, are essential to achieving both national and international sustainable development goals. Placing human health and dignity at the center of public policy, he noted, aligns with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes eradicating hunger, enhancing food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture—all aimed at building a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for future generations. Dr. Al-Awadhi said the summit reflects a shared vision and commitment to improving global food security and public health. He described it as a meaningful platform that emphasizes collective awareness of the importance of food safety and nutrition as cornerstones of health, economic growth, and social development. Citing scientific studies and real-world experience, he warned that the consequences of neglecting food safety go beyond statistics and are reflected in human suffering. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), foodborne illnesses affect over 600 million people annually, resulting in more than 420,000 deaths. Alarmingly, 125,000 of those deaths—nearly 30 percent—are among children under the age of five, even though children make up just 9 percent of the global population. These figures, Dr. Al-Awadhi noted, underscore the urgent need to strengthen national and global food safety systems and expand public awareness, especially to protect children, who are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. He also pointed to the Gulf region's investments in training expert personnel in food inspection and laboratory analysis as a critical factor in advancing national food security—a "priceless investment" for a healthier and more sustainable future. The health minister praised international cooperation, especially the efforts of UN-affiliated bodies, the United States, and other partners in supporting Kuwait's development of effective food security and safety systems. In her remarks at the summit, U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait Karen Sasahara emphasized the strong and expanding bilateral relationship between Kuwait and the United States, particularly in agriculture and food security. She noted that bilateral trade in this sector reached $275 million last year, with a total of $3.6 billion in trade between the U.S. and GCC countries. Ambassador Sasahara said that American agricultural sector representatives regularly engage with their Kuwaiti counterparts to explore the application of US technologies and products in advancing sustainable agricultural solutions. She explained that the summit seeks to deepen mutual understanding and align visions on best practices in food safety and security between the United States and GCC countries. This year's theme focuses on food safety as a fundamental pillar of community health and sustainable food security. The ambassador also described the summit as an opportunity to enhance U.S.-Kuwait collaboration and to strengthen partnerships with other participating nations in areas of food security and sustainable agriculture. She acknowledged shared health challenges, including obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, faced by both the US and GCC nations. The United States, she said, is working to improve its food system's nutritional quality by addressing the root causes of these issues and promoting international cooperation. The summit includes expert-led panel discussions featuring specialists in food security, health, and agriculture from the United States, the United Nations, and the GCC. Topics include national policy development and strategies for enhancing food safety and nutrition across the region.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's deep-sea mining order violates global norms: France
This is an AI generated image, used for representational purposes only PARIS: France on Monday accused the United States of violating international law after President Donald Trump signed an order to fast-track deep-sea mining in the open ocean outside his country's territorial waters. Washington wants to spearhead mining for mineral-rich nodules in the deepest ocean floor, sidestepping a global effort to regulate such potentially damaging exploration. France has led a diplomatic push to impose a global moratorium on deep-sea mining until more is known about its potential environmental consequences. The country's ambassador for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the United States was "violating the principle of non-appropriation of the high seas" by looking to issue mining permits in international waters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo "No one can claim the right to destroy the oceans, especially those over which they have no territorial rights. This is the strict application of international law," Poivre d'Arvor told journalists in an online briefing. "The abyss is not for sale," he added. The seafloor holds untapped stores of key minerals that are essential for modern technology. But the ecology of that dark realm is still poorly understood. As commercial interest in the seabed has grown, global regulators have tried to devise a level playing field and environmental protections for the nascent deep-sea mining industry. The United States never ratified the agreements that empower the International Seabed Authority's jurisdiction over seabeds in international waters, and is not a member of the UN-affiliated body. Poivre d'Arvor said that France, which is hosting the UN Oceans Conference in June, has forged a coalition of 32 countries opposed to deep-sea mining until the long-term impacts are better understood. Some 20 experts signed a scientific report last month calling for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining for at least 10 to 15 years or until enough information is available. "It's urgent to wait, not to rush into it right away," Bruno David, a prominent French scientist commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron to write the report, told journalists on Monday. The report warned that dredging the seafloor for minerals could spread giant clouds of sediment for hundreds of square kilometres beyond the mining site and risked heavy metals impacting the food chain. "Science must guide our choices," added David, describing the actions of Trump's administration as "delusional". China, which holds more exploration licences than any other country, but has held off mining awaiting the ISA's rules, last week said Washington's decision harmed global interests and violated international norms.
France 24
28-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Trump's deep-sea mining order violates global norms: France
Washington wants to spearhead mining for mineral-rich nodules in the deepest ocean floor, sidestepping a global effort to regulate such potentially damaging exploration. France has led a diplomatic push to impose a global moratorium on deep-sea mining until more is known about its potential environmental consequences. The country's ambassador for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the United States was "violating the principle of non-appropriation of the high seas" by looking to issue mining permits in international waters. "No one can claim the right to destroy the oceans, especially those over which they have no territorial rights. This is the strict application of international law," Poivre d'Arvor told journalists in an online briefing. "The abyss is not for sale," he added. The seafloor holds untapped stores of key minerals that are essential for modern technology. But the ecology of that dark realm is still poorly understood. As commercial interest in the seabed has grown, global regulators have tried to devise a level playing field and environmental protections for the nascent deep-sea mining industry. The United States never ratified the agreements that empower the International Seabed Authority's jurisdiction over seabeds in international waters, and is not a member of the UN-affiliated body. Poivre d'Arvor said that France, which is hosting the UN Oceans Conference in June, has forged a coalition of 32 countries opposed to deep-sea mining until the long-term impacts are better understood. Some 20 experts signed a scientific report last month calling for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining for at least 10 to 15 years or until enough information is available. "It's urgent to wait, not to rush into it right away," Bruno David, a prominent French scientist commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron to write the report, told journalists on Monday. The report warned that dredging the seafloor for minerals could spread giant clouds of sediment for hundreds of square kilometres beyond the mining site and risked heavy metals impacting the food chain. "Science must guide our choices," added David, describing the actions of Trump's administration as "delusional". China -- which holds more exploration licences than any other country, but has held off mining awaiting the ISA's rules -- last week said Washington's decision harmed global interests and violated international norms.
