The Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Iraq, Nazir Abboud, stressed the importance of addressing dust storms and desertification that strike most of Iraq’s cities, reducing injustice in nature and preventing the exploitation of agricultural lands for random housing.
Abboud said in a statement to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA): “Injustice against nature in all the world is considered part of the imbalance and has an impact on natural areas, so the United Nations Development Program has taken an approach that may be different from others in focusing on natural and green areas on the one hand, we should protect the various cities with accurate scientific plans, and on the other hand, we present maps and proposals to the Ministry of Environment to see the important places affected by unfairness on green areas and to treat them.”
He added: “One of the most important causes of dust storms that hit the cities of Iraq in the recent period is the lack of green belts as a result of converting most of the agricultural lands to random housing.”
He pointed out: “The United Nations program, with the Ministry of Environment, has developed the first step for afforestation in Al-Jadriya and Umm Al-Khanazer area to treat dust storms, and other plans for all areas that are considered natural reserves for birds in Baghdad and other governorates.”
He continued, “Our program will also deal with floods and dust storms, as cooperation has been made with most of the service ministries to restore the infrastructure of the city of Baghdad and stand up to future climate changes.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency