Shafaq News– Nineveh
Nineveh’s Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage launchedan initiative on Sunday to reintroduce the chamomile flower after severalseasons of absence to preserve the heritage and environmental landscape ofarchaeological sites in Mosul, northern Iraq.
The department’s director, Ruwaid Al-Layla, told Shafaq Newsthat the initiative aims to protect areas surrounding heritage sites,particularly locations that have turned into informal waste dumps in recentyears. Planting the flower, he noted, helps restore the value of these areas,improves their environmental and aesthetic appearance, and supports publicawareness of the importance of protecting cultural heritage.
Last December, Iraq’s Environmental Statistics Departmentreported that 69% of the Iraqi population outside the
Kurdistan Region lackedaccess to waste collection and transportation services in 2024, adding thatmost temporary waste collection sites operate without environmental approval.
: Waste in Iraq: a significant untapped resource lacking investment