UN Top Environment Chief
in First Visit to Iraq Says Implementation
of the Agreement will Bolster Environmental
Recovery and Peace-building
Baghdad, 26 January 2014 - In an effort
to set in motion robust action to restore
Iraq's fast deteriorating environment, the
Government of Iraq signed, Sunday, a landmark
agreement with the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) that aims to speed up recovery
and support national development goals.
Iraq's environment has
suffered severe decline, exacerbated by
decades of war and growing pressures on
natural resources.
According to a new government
study - backed by UN and World Bank data-
5 to 8 per cent of Iraq's GDP is lost annually
to environmental degradation.
At the same time, 39
per cent of Iraq's agricultural land suffered
a reduction in cropland between 2007 and
2009.
Meanwhile food insecurity
remains on the rise.
The report warns that
the quality and quantity of the country's
water has been impacted by upstream damming,
pollution, climate change and inefficient
usage.
The amount of water
available per person per year decreased
from 5,900 cubic metres to 2,400 cubic metres
between 1977 and 2009. Decreasing water
supplies were exacerbated by drought from
2005 and 2009.
"Achieving sustainable
development is by no means a light undertaking,
especially after decades of wars, sanctions
and environmental degradation. Rebuilding
Iraq's environmental infrastructure underpins
the country's recovery and peace-building
efforts." said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director, on
his first-ever visit to Iraq, Sunday.
"The commitment
of the Government to achieve environmental
sustainability is clearly articulated in
the vision, goals and objectives of the
National Development Plan, which places
the Green Economy at the heart of development
and economic policies," he added.
The new five-year Strategic
Cooperation Agreement with UNEP will strengthen
efforts to overcome many of Iraq's environmental
challenges.
Iraqi Minister of Environment
Eng. Sargon Lazar Slewa, said, " The
Government of Iraq is committed to moving
ahead with plans to restore the environment
as part of our National Development Plan.
The visit by Mr. Steiner and the signing
of the cooperation agreement will expedite
and further strengthen this process. The
well-being, security and livelihoods of
Iraqi's are dependent on our success."
Areas of cooperation
defined by the agreement will focus on:
Environmental legislation and regulations;
biodiversity conservation; green economy;
cleaner production; resource efficiency;
combating dust storms; and climate change
reporting, mitigation and adaptation.
The signing of the agreement
took place at a special event hosted by
the Minister of Environment to welcome Mr.
Steiner to Baghdad.
It was attended by key
figures including cabinet ministers, parliamentarians,
members of the diplomatic community and
international organizations.
The Government of Iraq
also announced 2014 as a national Year of
Environment and declared 28 January as an
annual Environment Day.
Cooperation between
the Government of Iraq and UNEP dates back
to 2003, immediately after the establishment
of the Ministry of Environment.
Since then, UNEP has
worked with the Iraqi Government on multiple
projects, including: rapid post-conflict
environmental assessments; environmental
clean-up of highly contaminated sites; and
the restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshlands.
Notes to Editors:
The report, entitled
Iraq State of Environment and Outlook is
available in Arabic only. It was prepared
by the Government of Iraq with support from
UNDP and UNEP.
Facts and Figures from
the report:
Around 31 per cent of
Iraq's surface is desert. At the same time,
39 per cent of the country's surface is
estimated to have been affected by desertification,
with an additional 54 per cent under threat.
As a result of declining soil moisture and
lack of vegetative cover, recent years have
witnessed an increase in the frequency of
vast dust and sand storms, often originating
in the western parts of Iraq.
Population growth is adding mounting pressure
to existing food, water and energy resources.
By 2030, the population is expected to grow
to almost 50 million people, exacerbating
these pressures even further.
Sustainable access to safe water and sanitation
remain a challenge: 83 per cent of Iraq's
wastewater is left untreated, contributing
to the pollution of Iraq's waterways and
general environment;
Years of conflict and violence resulted
in chemical pollution and unexploded ordnances,
which is affecting the safety and lives
of an estimated 1.6 million Iraqis.
