FAO confirms Iraq among countries most affected by climate change
Iraqis walking in a street in Baghdad during a sand storm in May 2022. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned on Monday that Iraq became one of the countries most affected by climate change, according to a press statement issued by the two organizations.
Iraq, known commonly as the Land of Two Rivers has been experiencing increased drought for the past two years, brought about by the rising temperatures, reduced rainfall which is the lowest in 40 years in addition to reduced water flows in the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, the statement mentioned.
This led to degradation of arable land, increased water, and soil salinity, which all contribute to serious loss of livelihoods and an increased pressure on the state national budget, which imports cereals to ensure enough food is available to the population, the statement explained.
In 2021, Iraq developed a plan to increase the efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience, and inclusivity of its agri-food systems as part of the Food Systems Summit. This was done to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to enough affordable, safe, and nutritious food to lead active and healthy lives, according to the statement.
20 percent of Iraq’s workforce are engaged in the agricultural sector, which is the second largest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) after the oil sector, accounting for five percent of the total GDP. Thus, agriculture development is critical to allow Iraq to achieve their vision of a more diversified economy, in addition to generating employment and boosting private sector engagement, the statement elaborated.
Urgent work must be undertaken on the levels of investing in research and development in an effort to make farming more technologically advanced and capable of handling adverse climate conditions and financially viable in the country, in addition to Agri-business and value chain development to increase profit margins and encourage farmers not to abandon their lands, the statement added.