Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has instructed the adoption of recommendations from a report addressing air pollution challenges and the spread of bad odors. The report, prepared by the Ministry of Environment, was discussed during a Cabinet session, resulting in several key directives aimed at tackling these environmental issues.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the directives include strengthening the Ministry of Finance’s human resources in environmental directorates across Baghdad and the governorates. This will involve transferring specialized environmental staff from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Environment, bypassing standard instructions to bolster capacities.

The Ministry of Finance is also directed to expedite funding for the Ministry of Environment. This funding will be used to supply spare tools, maintain and rehabilitate air quality monitoring stations, and establish a national center to oversee the integration of monitoring stations and emission sources. Additionally, portable devices will be provided to support the monitoring system’s operations.

To further support environmental inspection, control, and monitoring, the Ministry of Environment is to receive the necessary funding for its daily activities. The Ministry of Oil is tasked with adopting combustion improvement incentives to enhance fuel quality in factories and plants, with an emphasis on transitioning to liquefied gas as a cleaner energy source.

The report also calls for the evaluation of emission control system installations provided by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals. Security authorities are emphasized to support technical teams and enforce stricter control over unauthorized industrial activities contributing to air pollution, with legal actions to be taken against violators.