Iraqi environment index is high globally, new areas as nature reserves

Economy

21-03-2022, 23:50

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INA - BAGHDAD

Ministry of Environment identified new areas to be declared as nature reserves, indicating the high rate of the Iraqi environment index, globally.

”There is a national committee for nature reserves under our leadership and representing all relevant ministries, for the committee has previously announced many areas as nature reserves, whether in the mountains, plain, desert or humid environment, such as the marsh areas,” said the Minister of Environment Jassim Al-Falahi to the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

Al-Falahi noted, "Tomorrow, an internationally funded project will be launched in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program, in the presence of the regional director of the program, Sami Dimassi and in the presence of the United Nations representation and ambassadors of accredited countries in Baghdad, to declare Hor Al-Dalamj and Al-Tayyib as nature reserves,”

This international project includes strengthening the infrastructure in these two regions and establishing research centers as well as a headquarters for the management of the reserve, so that it allows conducting studies for experts and researchers via monitoring the movement of biodiversity well, preserving indigenous species from extinction and preventing unjust attacks on natural reserves, according to Al-Falahi statement.

Al-Falahi stated that "this is a qualitative leap in environmental work in Iraq that comes with the support of the United Nations and donors as it forms a starting point for new horizons as environmental reserves and their declaration are among the most important topics that raise the environmental performance index for Iraq,”

”In a few years, we were able to level up the environmental performance index in Iraq. Until 2015, we were at the very end of the global series of the environmental performance index, and today we rose more than 80 degrees, and this indicates a real work carried out by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with its partners,” he explained.