Baghdad – INA
The Ministry of Agriculture announced on Friday that the results of the first national study to calculate desertification rates in three districts will be unveiled soon, noting that there are currently no accurate figures on desertification in Iraq and that the findings of the first scientific survey will be announced soon.
The Director General of the Department of Forestry and Combating Desertification at the Ministry of Agriculture, Bassam Kanaan, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “the department has adopted a modern methodology for calculating the areas of desertified land and land threatened by desertification, in response to the growing demand for accurate data on this issue,” noting that “the results of the work carried out by the national committee concerned in three districts will be announced soon.”
He added that “the Department of Forestry and Combating Desertification has adopted a modern approach to calculating the areas of desertified land and land threatened by desertification. A national committee comprising the relevant technical bodies, including the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Environment, and Construction and Housing, was formed to develop a clear plan and methodology for the assessment.”
Kanaan continued that “the committee held a series of meetings and, in its initial phase, targeted three districts: Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar Province, Suwaira in Wasit Province, and Tal Afar in Nineveh Province,” noting that “the results of the study for these districts will be announced soon, paving the way for the expansion of the project to cover the targeted provinces and, subsequently, all Iraqi provinces once the necessary resources become available.”
He explained that “no government entity or international organization has provided accurate figures or percentages regarding desertification and desertified land in Iraq,” noting that “many of the figures in circulation lack scientific accuracy, and any percentage announced should be based on clear scientific data and indicators.”
He pointed out that “the national committee was formed for this purpose in order to reach accurate results that can later be presented to specialized international bodies for evaluation and endorsement,” stressing that “Iraq is a party to a number of international agreements, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Climate Change Convention, which contributes to strengthening cooperation with the relevant international organizations.”
He stated that “the study relied on a number of scientific indicators to calculate the extent of desertified land, including the vegetation cover index and the water index, as well as enhanced vegetation and water indices,” explaining that “these indicators were utilized in the study prepared by the national committee.”
Kanaan affirmed that “upon completion of the first phase, work will move toward fully covering the three targeted provinces before expanding to include other provinces, particularly those affected by desertification and the encroachment of sand dunes.”