Iraq’s Climate Crisis: Environmental challenges and ways forward

This is the English recording of Panel 2 from the 29th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Iraq is considered to be one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the Middle East. By 2059, temperatures in the country are set to rise by 2.53 degrees, while rainfall will decline by around nine percent. Already, water in Iraq’s rivers and lakes are at critical levels and mismanagement of water resources coupled with outdated farming methods have resulted in increasing rates of desertification. Among the biggest challenges that Iraq will face in the coming decades is how to adapt to its drastically altered climate and mitigate the effects of climate change. Failure to effectively deal with the impacts of the climate crisis will only exacerbate existing socio-economic instability, with high temperatures and the government’s inability to provide services such as electricity and water being historical triggers for civil upheavals in Iraq’s recent past. In this session panellists will discuss the environmental challenges facing Iraq and examine ways to tackle them going forward. Chair: •Michael Mason – LSE Middle East Centre Speakers: • Maha Yassin – Clingendael Institute • Basima Abdulrahman – KESK • Azzam Alwash –Nature Iraq