Agriculture Ministry: 55 per cent Iraq's land area is threatened by desertification

 
Baghdad-INA
 
The Ministry of Agriculture indicated on Friday, two reasons behind the reduction of the agricultural plan and the increase in desertification rates in the country, while it announced the percentage of desertified lands currently, it warned that 55% of the total area of Iraq is threatened by desertification.
 
The Director-General of the Department of Forestry and Combating Desertification at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rawya Mazal, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "The agricultural sector, plant and animal parts, depends on water as the main determinant factor for agricultural operations and increased production," noting that "the rains recede for the winter season 2021, as the decrease in water releases from the upstream countries led to the reduction of the agricultural plan and thus the desertification of these lands due to their lack of productivity.”
 
Mazal added, "The problem of desertification requires concerted efforts from the relevant sectors, as the matter is not limited to the Ministry of Agriculture alone," stressing that "signs of interest in this problem are beginning to appear on the horizon, and we hope for the best from the Food Security Law in providing the necessary allocations to address this issue." 
 
She pointed out that "The desertified land area is approximately 27 million dunums, which is equivalent to approximately 15% of the country's area," noting that "approximately 55% of Iraq's area is considered lands threatened by desertification."
 
Regarding the loss of agricultural land, Mazaal said, "It depends on the agricultural plan, and the areas that come out of the plan are due to the lack of water quotas and cannot be determined without the end of the summer season."