Iraqi Kurdistan loses 50% of artificial forests, 30% natural forests

Iraqi Kurdistan loses 50% artificial forests, 30% natural forests in 50 years — Turkey illegal logging in occupied areas of Iraqi Kurdistan, May 2021. Photo: MP Hividar Ahmed

ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— The lush green spaces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region are under significant threat as the number of trees and forested areas continues to dwindle each year.

A recent survey by the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture has highlighted a dramatic reduction in forested areas over the past half-century. Iraqi Kurdistan has lost half of its artificial forests and nearly a third of its natural forests.

Halkawt Abdulrahman, who leads the horticulture and forestry directorate at the Kurdistan region’s Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, reported these findings to Rudaw TV.

“A 1957 survey by forestry expert Chapman estimated the region’s natural forest area at 5 million dunams,” Abdulrahman stated. “In 2015, a survey conducted by our ministry using GIS, remote sensing, and satellite data revealed that Kurdistan now has only 2.5 million dunams of natural forests remaining.”

Environmental awareness expert Luqman Sherwani has sounded the alarm on the severe consequences of deforestation, regardless of its causes.

In an effort to combat this decline, two organizations have embarked on a project to plant nearly one million oak trees along the 120 Meter Road in Erbil over the past four years. So far, 300,000 trees have been successfully planted.

Mohammed Yousef, the project’s director, explained, “The project involves not just planting but also protecting the site with fencing to prevent damage to the trees. After planting, we will monitor, water, and care for the trees. Eventually, it will be handed over to the government to be developed into a park or public space.”

Currently, only 12.44 percent of the Kurdistan region is covered in green space, far below the standard range of 15 to 25 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Adding to the environmental strain is the impact of Turkey’s military activities in the border areas of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Turkish government has been accused of illegal logging in these regions. In 2021, the Kurdistan Regional Government formally complained to Turkey about the ongoing deforestation.

Reports from Zakho district in Duhok governorate revealed that Turkish trucks have been transporting trees felled in Kurdistan back to Turkey, exacerbating the deforestation crisis.