Baghdad: The Green Iraq Observatory has forecasted a significant increase in sand and dust storms in Iraq, with predictions of up to 300 stormy days annually over the next decade. The Observatory has identified six “hotspots” as key sources of these storms.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Observatory outlined Iraq’s climate characteristics, noting its generally subtropical and semi-arid conditions, except in the semi-humid mountainous regions in the northeast and the desert areas in the southwest. Iraq experiences winters that can range from cold to bitterly cold and dry summers with temperatures reaching up to 50°C in Baghdad during July.

The Observatory highlighted that while historically, the maximum number of dust storms recorded annually between 1951 and 1990 was around 24, the impacts of climate change could increase this number to as many as 300 annually within the next ten years.

The organization has confirmed the presence of six hotspots in central, western, and southern Iraq, from wh
ich these storms originate, with a significant concentration in the southern governorates. International studies have linked the development of these hotspots to widespread desertification in the region. This environmental challenge is also affecting neighboring countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, and Iran.