Iraq launched a nationwide campaign on Saturday to removewater hyacinth from rivers and clean riverbanks, with the participation ofgovernment ministries, state institutions, volunteer teams, and civil societyorganizations.
Baghdad Environmental Police Director Mustafa Abdul Hassantold Shafaq News that the force had mobilized units across Baghdad,Al-Diwaniyah, Wasit, and Babil provinces to support the move, noting that theinitiative is coordinated with the Water Resources Ministry and aims to removethe invasive plant and promote volunteerism and environmental awareness in linewith calls from Iraq's religious authority and judicial efforts to holdpolluters accountable.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Provincial Council member AyatMuzaffar said the council and the Baghdad Services Authority joined thecampaign to identify the causes behind the spread of water hyacinth and developlong-term solutions. “The plant blocks irrigation canals, restricts water flowto farmland, and reduces dissolved oxygen levels, threatening Iraq's fishstocks. Authorities are also studying ways to recycle the removed vegetationinto organic fertilizer instead of disposing of it through conventional methods.”
During a visit to Babil Province, Governor Ali Turki saidefforts should begin in the upper reaches of the Euphrates River because theprovince serves as the main gateway for water flowing toward Iraq's southernprovinces. He called for concentrating mechanical and manual removal operationsin upstream areas.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Fayhan said Iraqhas adopted a national plan to combat water hyacinth, characterizing its rapidspread as a major challenge that has worsened the country's water scarcitycrisis.
According to Water Resources Minister Muthanna Al-Tamimi,parliament had allocated funding for the campaign, with disbursement expectedwithin two days. He added that the ministry's Iraq Company and other ministrydepartments would begin removal operations immediately, while also launching aseparate effort to reduce water pollution in the country's rivers.
Water hyacinth, native to South America, is considered oneof the world's most invasive aquatic plants. It spreads rapidly on freshwatersurfaces, forming dense mats that block sunlight, reduce oxygen levels,obstruct irrigation canals and waterways, and damage aquatic ecosystems andfisheries. In Iraq, its expansion has become a growing environmental challenge,particularly in the Euphrates basin and the southern provinces, where favorableclimatic conditions and nutrient-rich waters have accelerated its spread.
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