If You Google Iraq, You Won’t See This Story

Held in Treviso, Italy, from the 18th – 21st March, Green Accord’s 17th International Forum for Information on the Safeguarding of Nature was attended by media professionals, environmental experts and international organisations.

Speaking on behalf of the London-based publication, The Iraq International News Agency, two representatives were invited to deliver a speech on the ‘Environmental Consequences of Conflict in Iraq’, addressing an often overlooked issue in global conversations about the country.

Below is their statement:

Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting us to speak here today. 
…
We work at the Iraq International News Agency; a London based online publication, delivering the news of Iraq, and the global Iraqi diaspora, to the world. 

Thank you for having us. At these times when the world is overshadowed by division and conflict, it is extremely important for us to have a platform to spread our message and make our voices heard.

I would like to begin by sharing  an anecdote from a highly accredited, young Iraqi architect,  Yousif Hani Al-Waeli , whom I recently had the pleasure of working  with.
Whilst speaking at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin last year, Yousif  began with a simple question for the audience: if you search ‘Iraq’ on Google, how long will it take you to find a photo that is not of war or conflict? At the summit, people actually tried it- so now, you can too… let us show you what comes up.

As you can see, there’s very little- if anything- beyond conflict. Perhaps this is normal to you, it might even be all you know of Iraq, but it can be disheartening for those of us trying to envision a different reality . There is so much more to see beyond what is shown, and one of the most overlooked aspects of Iraq today is the environment.

As journalists and media representatives, we believe that we have a responsibility to both educate, and advocate. That’s why we are here today to speak with you about this important yet largely invisible subject: the environmental costs of conflict in Iraq, and what is being done to address them today.

Decades of conflict in Iraq has left their environmental landscape with pressing consequences.  From the significant decline of water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, to oil pollution, damage to agricultural land, use of chemical weapons, and degradation of wetlands; all are sadly far  too common across Iraq. Up to one-third of the agricultural land is facing desertification, some figures showing even higher risk.

Iraq has consistently been in the top 15 countries with the highest pollution rate since the early 2000s, while Baghdad is amongst those with the highest air pollution, similar to Lahore and Delhi. Temperatures exceed 45 Celcius in summer, halting human life during the daytime.

Across the country, water reservoirs, which are essential for accessible clean water, are drying up at an alarming rate. The ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers are facing drought levels unseen in history, and the price is paid by communities who depend on them for their livelihoods.

Overlapping crises over the years has made it difficult for the government to prioritise environmental concerns,  leaving little time or space to give the environment the attention it requires. For much of this time, recovery was simply not possible, as new damage continued to occur. 

The political and historical context of Iraq is almost impossible to separate from the ongoing environmental concerns. War does not simply damage the environment, it disrupts the very systems needed to understand and repair that damage.

Today, however, there are also positive signs of progress that demonstrate that recovery is possible. 

The marshlands of Southern Iraq, often referred to as the Mesopotamian Marshes, are largely regarded as the Cradle of Civilisation.
After years of damage due to wars and drainage, almost 90% of these wetlands had disappeared by the late 1990’s. Since then, restoration efforts have led to partial recovery, with significant areas reflooded and biodiversity beginning to return.
Since 2003, Marshlands have reflooded to over 50% of their original size.

A big step towards the marshland recovery was in 2016, when these marshlands (known as the Ahwar of Southern Iraq) were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This recognition isn’t just symbolic; it has helped to generate international support, scientific research, and conservation funding.

More recently, international co-operation has continued to build on this momentum.

For instance, in late 2024, the United Nations Development Programme was established in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, supported by international partners like the United States Agency for International Development, marking a critical milestone in Iraq’s efforts to tackle environmental challenges. The project is working to protect the marshlands by strengthening biodiversity, supporting vulnerable communities, and improving resilience to climate change. 

At the same time, Iraqi institutions, such as the Centre for Restoration of Iraqi Marshes and Wetlands, are developing more advanced monitoring systems to better understand water flows and ecological needs. UNESCO-supported cultural and environmental programmes are also helping to revive traditional knowledge linked to Iraq’s rivers, including boat-building practices and water-based livelihoods that connect communities to their environment. 

There are also smaller-scale but equally meaningful initiatives that highlight the role of the general public in driving a more sustainable future.

For example, ‘Cleanup Ambassadors’ is a campaign dedicated to cleaning up environmental pollution, particularly in cities bordering Iraq’s rivers, such as Baghdad and Diwaniyah. After gaining momentum in 2022, the youth-led initiative regularly saw up to 200 young men and women lining the river banks of Iraq, picking up litter. 

Another one of these initiatives is the forestification of Baghdad. In the past two years alone, 300,000 trees were planted in and around the city to fight air pollution, and there are serious plans to extend this to a 10-million-square-meter ‘Baghdad Sustainable Forest’ in the coming years. The capital, which is in urgent need of these green spaces, benefits not only from reduced pollution, but also from the provision of accessible, cooler environments for the public during the spring and summer months.

Another example is the UNICEF – led awareness campaign, targeting sustainable water consumption. The programme, which took place in November last year, featured over 100 young people from Iraq and Kurdistan, working closely  with local water departments, collecting data from over 1,700 families. This data was then used to inform future water management strategies.   

Over the last 10 years, there has also been an increase in the promotion of rehabilitation projects, through the valuable assistance of international partners. They operate in the regions of Iraq that were previously affected by the use of destructive weapons. 

A great example is Toyota Iraq’s involvement in Halabja, a city that has been tragically suffering from the effects of chemical warfare. Previously assumed to be unsuitable for human life, the city has been transformed through sustainable farming, water treatment and purification, effective waste management, and the expansion of public health services. Today, the city is open for tourism, welcoming many visitors, especially during their annual Pomegranate Festival, which was visited last year by more than 400,000 people across the 3 days.  

We should also mention how we, as a news agency, take part in this period of rapid change and development. In the grand scheme of things, the Iraq International News Agency is a relatively new company to the scene, and has recently been pushing for increased coverage of environmental news and climate related issues in its publications. The lack of English-language media covering such topics in Iraq makes this work even more important and meaningful, despite its many challenges.  

In September last year, we became one of the twelve Middle Eastern, and the first- and only- Iraqi media organisation in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Media Compact. We have been supporting UN Habitat in Baghdad and London, covering environmental challenges, climate action initiatives, and the stories that often go unheard within Iraq’s evolving landscape. This link is important, and in line with our strong belief in international cooperation, as our offices in two very different regions act as a bridge between those who are on the ground doing important work, and those with the resources and capacity to support and promote this work.

We also understand the importance of building capacity within the media, which is why we are committed to training and supporting environmental editors to better report on these complex and often overlooked issues. Our internship initiative for aspiring journalists, placement programme for leading UK universities, and training opportunities for experienced editors together form our commitment to building a stronger, more informed media landscape. Such opportunities have opened doors to many of our colleagues based in Iraq, introducing a new and exciting field within their work where they can be a part of this movement. 

Outside Iraq, it is equally important to promote these kinds of initiatives to connect with like-minded colleagues, and expand the reach of our stories. We are, and have been, working non-stop to invest in media professionals of today and the future, creating immediate but sustainable change in the sector. We believe in the power of giving a platform to those who are as passionate about seeing a new, resilient Iraq as us, and those who commit to supporting efforts in countries that are often not represented in environmental discourse.

These initiatives matter because environmental recovery is not only about ecosystems, it is also about people, knowledge, and continuity of centuries long cultural traditions. The implementation of these changes does not erase the scale of the challenges, but it does reflect a shift in attitude, both nationally and internationally, towards Iraq’s environmental landscape. 

We are proud to be a part of that effort. Standing here today, we can see that we are not alone in our quest for environmental sustainability.
Thanks to organisations like Green Accord, together, we can paint a picture of a resilient nation, which refuses to be shaped by its former conflicts.