Iraq rejects Saudi initiative to plant 15 thousand square kilometers of Iraqi desert
Archived photo of a palm tree farm in a desert
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – In response to the Saudi’s Middle East Green Initiative, Iraq informed Saudi Arabia Sunday that the country will not be able to provide enough water to participate in the project aiming to plant 15 thousand square kilometers in Anbar, Najaf and Muthanna governorates.
A report issued by the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) revealed that Iraq will be among the most countries affected by the climate change unless countermeasures are taken, according to Baghdad Today News Agency.
The report also added that, according to experts, temporary solutions will not be effective, and the country needs sustainable solutions. Specialists explained that Iraq’s justifications to reject the Saudi’s Middle East Green Initiative because of the lack of groundwater are not convincing.
While the report confirmed that the world will go through serious transformations, it stated that Iraq, in an inconsiderate and uncomprehensive way, informed Saudi Arabia it will not be able to provide the required water for the project that will cultivate 15 thousand kilometers of Iraqi lands.
The Saudi initiative was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2021 and aims to reduce carbon emissions in the region, and reduce desertification in the region by planting billions of trees.
The initiative that aims to secure 10.4 billion US dollars to plant around 50 billion trees in Saudi Arabia and Gulf States including Iraq was opposed by some analysts claiming it is a Saudi move to have a kind of influence in Iraq to confront the Iranian existence in the country, according to Baghdad Today News Agency.
The NIC report indicated that Iraq’s rejection of the initiative was due to clarifications by the Iraqi ministries of agriculture and irrigation that the water needed for the project cannot be provided.