Saving the disappearing forests in Iraqi Kurdistan

SULAIMANI, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— In the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, a plant nursery in Sulaimani’s Sarchinar district is nurturing hundreds of pine, eucalyptus, olive, and pomegranate saplings under protective awnings. This initiative is part of a broader effort to combat the severe deforestation plaguing the area, AFP reported.

“Nearly half of Kurdistan’s forests have disappeared over the past 70 years,” said Nyaz Ibrahim from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The alarming loss is primarily due to water scarcity, increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, and frequent fires.

This environmental degradation is particularly concerning as the Kurdistan region contains 90 percent of Iraq’s forests. Iraq itself is one of the countries most affected globally by climate change and desertification, which are exacerbating the crisis.

The root causes of this deforestation are complex, involving illegal logging, intensified by summer droughts, and forest fires. Additionally, military operations near Iraq’s northern border have further contributed to the destruction.

At the Sarchinar nursery, workers diligently unload young saplings from trailers, preparing them for eventual reforestation or distribution to local farmers. The nursery, Iraq’s oldest, develops about 40 different tree varieties, including pines, cypresses, junipers, and oaks—trees that are emblematic of the Kurdish landscape.

“Climate change directly affects plant growth,” said agricultural engineer Rawa Abdulqader. “We focus on cultivating trees that can tolerate high temperatures and require less water.”

The WFP has supported these efforts by installing micro-mesh nets at the nursery to shield the saplings from the sun, speeding up their growth and reducing water evaporation. The introduction of water-efficient hanging sprinklers in greenhouses has further bolstered the nursery’s productivity, increasing annual sapling production from 250,000 in late 2022 to 1.5 million by 2024.

Over the next five years, the WFP aims to assist in planting 38 million trees across 61,000 hectares in Kurdistan while working to conserve 65,000 hectares of existing forest. Historical data shows that between 1957 and 2015, Kurdistan lost over 600,000 hectares of forest. Fires alone have devastated 290,000 hectares in the last 14 years, according to Halkawt Ismail, director of the forestry office in Kurdistan’s agriculture ministry.

These fires, often sparked by summer droughts and exacerbated by negligence, have taken a significant toll. Ismail also pointed to illegal logging during the 1990s, when economic hardship led locals to cut down trees for fuel.

Conflict has also played a role. In parts of Kurdistan, forests have suffered as collateral damage from ongoing clashes between the Turkish military and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants. Reports this summer indicated that Turkish bombardments sparked several forest fires. Researcher Wim Zwijnenburg from the Dutch peace-building group PAX told AFP that Turkey’s military presence has led to increased deforestation, with roads being cut through forested areas and vegetation cleared around military bases.

The lack of forest management due to conflict and displacement, combined with rising temperatures and drought, creates ideal conditions for these fires to spread unchecked. As Kamaran Osman of the Community Peacemaker Teams noted, the danger of further bombing prevents people from safely extinguishing these fires, allowing them to spread further.

Despite these challenges, efforts to restore Kurdistan’s forests continue. Authorities, albeit with limited resources, are working to boost nursery production and cultivate new forests. Civil society groups are also active; in Sulaimani, for example, activists are resisting real estate developments on Mount Goizha, which threatens local forestland.

Meanwhile, in the regional capital of Erbil, a campaign led by local organizations aims to plant 1 million oak trees. Since 2021, they have planted 300,000 trees, with plans to continue. “Climate change is inevitable, but we must adapt,” said Gashbin Idrees Ali, the project manager. Oak trees, which require less water, were chosen for their resilience and longevity. “We oversee their growth for four to five years, after which they can survive for centuries,” he added.