Sweden provided $ 10.2 to Iraq to reduce the effects of climate change

Baghdad-INA 

The Swedish government provided a $ 10.2
million grant to Iraq to support the government's efforts to reduce the effects of climate change and support the development of agriculture in the center and south.

The Technical Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mithaq Abdul-Hussein, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "Sweden provided a grant to Iraq amounting to 10.2 million dollars as an international initiative among other initiatives to reduce the effects of severe climate change that struck the world," noting that "there are countries, including Iraq, that have been affected.".

He added, "This grant supports families in central and southern Iraq in order to develop smart agriculture programs, improve water management, and enhance the resilience of agricultural communities," noting that "this grant is an international commitment to help countries most affected by climate change.".

He continued, "The Ministry of Agriculture, in direct cooperation with the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will turn this grant into actions on the ground as soon as possible, in order to enhance the ability of productive families, especially farmers in the center and south, to avoid the crisis of climate impact and water scarcity.".

In turn, the representative of the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Iraq, Salah Hajj Hassan, confirmed to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the project funded by the Swedish government was signed in cooperation and coordination with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, in the presence of a representative of the Minister of Agriculture and with direct participation via the Internet with the Minister Environment, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, and the Ambassador of Sweden in Baghdad," noting that ".

 "this grant at this particular time is very important, whether in terms of financing, and if it is in terms of partnership, and if it is in terms of its importance in focusing on key points related to these challenges facing the most affected areas in Iraq, such as climate changes and water scarcity, and therefore it constitutes an opportunity for cooperation between the organization Food and Agriculture FAO and the Iraqi government represented by the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources to provide what can be solutions at the local level to mitigate the severity and impact of these climate variables.

While the Ambassador of Sweden to Iraq, Jessica Svardstrom, said to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "We are happy to proceed with the project funded by the Swedish government and in partnership with the FAO organization in implementation and in the presence of a representative of the Minister of Agriculture so that the project is one of the most important means that can converge with mitigating the limit of changes." The climate in central and southern Iraq," explaining that "Iraq is one of the countries most affected by climate change, and therefore the Swedish government has obligations towards Iraq to help mitigate the negative effects of climate change."