Iraq starts sand dune stabilization project to confront dust storms
A bulldozer working in the sand dune stabilization project. Photo: Iraqi news Agency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Department of Forestry and Desertification of the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture announced on Wednesday the start of a sand dune stabilization project to confront dust storms, according to the state news agency (INA).
Director of the Department of Forestry and Desertification, Rawiya Al-Azawi, said that a technical committee, according to directives from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, started implementing a project to stabilize sand dunes and establish a green belt in an area between the governorates of Dhi Qar and Muthanna.
“The project aims to stop the encroachment of sand dunes on villages, strategic projects and agricultural lands in the area, which is considered one of the most areas severely affected by the climate change in Iraq,” Azawi explained.
Azawi elaborated that the project introduces new methods and modern technology to combat desertification.
Azawi mentioned that other measures are taken such as educating the local population through awareness campaigns and providing arable fields to achieve the goals of sustainable development.
The Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology confirms that the lack of vegetation cover and the encroachment of sand dunes into green areas as a result of drought are among the important reasons for the increased dust storms in Iraq this year.