Good effect: The percentage of recovery reached 60% of the marshes and work is still going on
October 11 2011


BAGHDAD - babysit - Minister of State for the marshes of good force, said on Tuesday that destroyed the marshes during days of the previous regime is experiencing a major campaign to bring it back to life after the fall of that regime.

"The force" said in a statement singled out by the news agency and public opinion, "The marshes dried up and ended the day life of the inhabitants was left in no man and no animal or plant being exposed to the systematic sabotage and orderly."

He was pointing out that open water of the marshes have been recovered by 60 percent, and work continued to revive it.

Stressing that his ministry had moved since 2006 to serve the first two-way return the marsh water to it and the second delivery of services to the people that dwell therein ... p / g

^^ I reposted this article here just so you know (so that I could start the thread)

thanks IraqiPlan

Kein problem :)

Scottish botanists to restore Garden of Eden
22 Jan 2012



A team of Scottish botanists are heading to Iraq to help restore an area thought to be the biblical Garden of Eden.

The Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP), based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, has joined forces with conservation charity Nature Iraq to rebuild the delicate eco-system of the Iraqi marshlands, which were drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. The area south of the city of Basra, is regarded by scholars as being the location of the Old Testament Garden of Eden.

In the Book of Genesis, it is described as at a place of four rivers. Since the early days of Christianity this has often been interpreted as being the Mesopotamian Marshes, where the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates and two other rivers once met before climate change transformed the once highly-fertile region into marshes.

During the trip in March, the Scottish team will record and register plants in the area as part of an ambitious project to restore the marshlands. They will also help to train Iraqi botanists to take the work forward.

An exhibition in Scotland later this year – Paradise Restored – will explain the plan to a wider public. Sophie Neale, a CMEP researcher involved in the project said: “This will cover its [the area’s] history as the Garden of Eden and the cradle of civilization and recent restoration work after it was drained by Saddam Hussein.”

Tony Miller, director of the CMEP said: “Nature Iraq’s first project is the restoration of the marshes and we are working with them. Without the marshes there is no wildlife in the region. They support the bio- diversity of the area which is rich in bird life and in the past was very important for fish. There is a complete eco-system that is in the process of being restored.”

Prior to his downfall and execution in 2006, Saddam drained the wetlands to punish the indigenous Marsh Arab tribes, who had risen up against him in the aftermath of the first Gulf War in 1991. The former Iraqi dictator built a network of canals to channel water from the Euphrates and Tigris around the marshes, dumping it straight into the Persian Gulf.

Within months the marshes, which had covered 15,000 sq km, were reduced to less than 10 per cent of their original size, killing off wildlife and plants and destroying delicate eco-systems which had been there for thousands of years.

Slowly, however, the biodiversity of the region is returning under the control of Iraqi engineer Azzam Alwash, head of Nature Iraq. He is carrying out work to refill the marshes, which had turned to desert, with water.

Around 50 per cent of the area has since been refilled, and the ecosystem and wildlife is slowly recovering.

Later in the year, the Botanics will host the exhibition to document the work being undertaken in Iraq, as well as projects in other parts of the Middle East, including Turkey, Afghanistan and Syria. Miller described it as an important project for humanitarian, as well as botanical, reasons. “It is scientifically interesting for us and it’s also something that I feel we should be doing. If we are going to go into a country like Iraq in a military sense it seems quite reasonable that we should try to help rebuild the country afterwards as well.”

Not only have scientists recognised the area’s importance. At the start of the second Gulf War, with Allied troops about to invade southern Iraq from Kuwait, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins, commander of the Ist Battalion, the Royal Irish Regiment, famously told his men: “This is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham – tread lightly there.”

Iraqi Dr speaking about the environment and its aspects in iraq, must watch!

Bd5W5Tzc5BU

^^it's looks like he wants to become minister of environment. hmm, I think he will change many things in Iraq if he becomes minister!

What a great guy, unfortunately people like him are a minority in Iraq. If there were more people like him our country wouldnt be in such a mess today. I hope he can make a difference alone, because I doubt he'll be getting much help.

What a great guy, unfortunately people like him are a minority in Iraq. If there were more people like him our country wouldnt be in such a mess today. I hope he can make a difference alone, because I doubt he'll be getting much help.

100% true, politicians in iraq only care about owning armored SUV cars which costs millions of dollars! and iraqi ppl are the victims of diseases, explosions, and so on..., alhamdullilah anyway!

100% true, politicians in iraq only care about owning armored SUV cars which costs millions of dollars! and iraqi ppl are the victims of diseases, explosions, and so on..., alhamdullilah anyway!
Are you kidding?

Great guy inshalah his views will be more wide spread and known.

Trees as far as the eye can see are the weapons one Iraqi province is using in the fight against desertification in a country where decades of conflict have exacted a terrible environmental toll.

Karbala, 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of Baghdad, is best known as the site of the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas, who are among the most revered figures in Shiite Islam, and sees millions of pilgrims visit every year.

But it is also the location of a six-year-old project aimed at fighting worsening desertification in Iraq: a "green belt", or a 27-kilometre crescent lined with thousands of young trees in orderly patterns, irrigated by dozens of wells.

The area had been used as a military encampment but is now the front line of Karbala's battle against increasingly frequent sandstorms and salinisation of the land.

"If we do nothing, the desert will envelop us," said Hassan Jabbar, who heads the "green belt" project. "So we must go on the offensive, not on the defensive, and we must establish new irrigation projects."

The project has involved the planting of 62,000 olive trees, 20,500 palm trees, 37,000 eucalyptus trees, and 4,200 tamarind trees, all of which were chosen for their root strength as well as for the food some eventually produce.

Karbala province governor Amal al-Din al-Har, himself a former director of the provincial agriculture department, spoke with pride of the project, and said he hoped to widen the belt tenfold from its current 100-metre (330 feet) width.

"For 30 years, Iraq has been combating desertification, but after we established the (national) anti-desertification office, what we have accomplished in Karbala has been the most ambitious and most successful effort in Iraq," Har said.

The country's environment ministry estimated in 2009 that 39 percent of Iraq's surface was affected by desertification, while an additional 54 percent was under threat.

And while the ministry estimates that 28 percent of Iraq's territory is comprised of arable land, around 250 square kilometres (96 square miles) are lost every year due to degradation of various kinds.

Tumultuous history

Iraq is far from the only country affected by desertification, but its tumultuous history has made it particularly vulnerable.

"Iraq has fought many wars," noted Mohammed Ghazi Saeed, head of the national agriculture ministry's anti-desertification department. "They have greatly damaged the country's environment."

Saeed said the situation worsened notably after now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and the subsequent international coalition that formed to evict him from the neighbouring emirate.

As Saddam's forces fled Kuwait, they burned oil wells there, which Saeed said left Iraq "black, literally."

"Of course, this poisoned the soil, the water, and led to the disappearance of many plant areas."

The dictator's military vehicles also destroyed green areas in the south and centre of Iraq by loosening the soil as they traversed them, and his forces chopped or burned down swathes of vegetation as part of efforts to track down internal dissidents.

This has combined with climate change -- Iraq has suffered several droughts over the past decade -- to worsen an already difficult environmental situation, with sandstorms in Baghdad regularly forcing the closure of the capital's airport, and leading to increased hospital visits due to respiratory problems.

In response, the Iraqi government has adopted a roadmap to fight desertification, involving efforts such as the Karbala green belt and planting programmes in the areas near the western Anbar desert.

But Saeed said that while Iraq had started doing its part, neighbouring countries were not pulling their weight, and insisted they had to allocate greater budgets to environmental preservation.

He also admitted that while authorities across Iraq were working to combat desertification, he was still not confident they would see the plans through to their conclusion.

"It is not really difficult to plant a tree -- what is important is to let it grow," he said. "I must admit that the government is not yet fully capable, it is still weak in terms of completing projects."

Har was even harsher in his assessment of how much more needed to be done.

"I think Iraq is really far behind when it comes to the fight against desertification, and it really does not have strong measures to push efficient water usage," he said.

"Even today, we do not consider it an essential part of life, and we waste water."

Alluding to the years of violence that racked Iraq from 2006 to 2008, when confessional violence left tens of thousands dead, Har added: "Sandstorms now pose more of a problem than explosions."

This took some digging but here is an article about the marshes from NASA. It has a slideshow illustrating changes over the past 10 years ending with 2010.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/iraq.php

The article highlights the speed of recovery but recent imagery indicates that the marshes are under threat from decreased river flows due to agriculture and drought.

Here is a article from 2011:

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iraq-marshes011.html#cr

"By 2007 over 50% of the marshes had been restored, but now the proportion of restored marshland has dropped to nearer 30%."

"Azzam and Nature Iraq are masterminding steps to address this second drying. A large embankment across the Euphrates is being built to raise the level of the river, to flood a large area of the Central Marshes. This is just a stop-gap measure while work progresses on a long-term solution that will shut down one of Saddam's drainage canals, redistributing water using a network of regulators to ensure a ready supply of water to the Central Marshes."

by god with this drought we all know the inevitable, vast amount of desalination plants need to be built in south of basra that will pump up water through a network into sea(najaf) and the rivers. Also with the tree's they should use gum tree's from adelaide. i think iraqi weather will grow it good if there is plent water.

Desalination is a pipe-dream, especially for a place like Iraq with chronic electricity shortages. It takes immense amounts of power to produce and distribute the desalinated water and using it for something other than municipal purposes is not practical.

ardamir, it would actually be no problem. The ministry of transportation actually said that we would be able to export electricity by around 1014 because of the huge quantity of power stations being built.

ardamir, it would actually be no problem. The ministry of transportation actually said that we would be able to export electricity by around 1014 because of the huge quantity of power stations being built.

which calender are u referring to hahahahahha :lol:

The sumerian calendar, therefore after the conversion to the christian calendar, it will be approximately 46 years :)

KHANAQIN, Kurdistan Region — After several years of blocking and releasing the Alwand River, Iranian authorities completely dammed the river from flowing into Iraq last week.

The Alwand River originates in western Iran and flows into eastern Iraq in the Khanaqin region. 40,000 acres of land, farms depend on this river for irrigation.

Muhanad Saadi, Iraq’s minister of water resources, told Rudaw, “Iran has not given us an explanation for this action even though we demanded one through Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Iran and Iraq share around 30 rivers that run through both countries. Iran has been blocking these rivers from flowing into Iraq by diverting their paths and building dams.

Tahir Mahoomd, director of Khanaqin’s water department, told Rudaw, “In the past, during certain seasons, the river used to reach 50 feet in some areas. However, since last month the river has completely dried up.”

Mahmood said that the river used to decrease about 7 feet each summer before Iraq’s liberation in 2003, but recently has decreased considerably.

Regarding the farms that depend on the river, Mahmood said, “The farmers used to plant summer and winter vegetables in the fields. Lack of irrigation water forced the farmers to abandon their land in summer, and this will hurt the farmers’ economic situation.”

The blocking of the Alwand River has caused drought to around 60 percent of the farmland in Khanaqin.

Ali Qasim, an engineer at the Khanaqin water department, says that the drought will also affect the drinking water in the city. “We have five water stations on the river to pump drinking water to the city. Currently, none of them are working.”

When the river is extremely low, he added, the water is mossy and dirty, not suitable for drinking. Qasim said that the drought will badly affect livestock as well.

Khalid Abass, director of Khanaqin Hospital, believes that the drought will cause diseases to spread in the area as people will be forced to use local wells for drinking water.

“The river cannot be used for drinking before the processes of sanitation, but some villagers are still drinking from it,” Abass said.

According to the Diyala water department, the province needs 7 square meters of water per second, but by blocking the river the Iranian government is not allowing this amount to reach the area.

Mahmood said that, in order to meet the needs of the farmland and orchards in the region, the government built a canal from the Sirwan River to the area. Some of the farmers dug wells to irrigate their fields. However, Mahmood said this will not solve the problem.

“The government is currently building a dam on the river and it will be finished around November,” he said. “This will solve most of the problem; it will guarantee drinking water and the extra will be used for irrigation purposes.”

Officials from Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources are confident the dam will solve the problem. The dam extends 1,300 meters and has a budget of 30 billion dinars.

Salam Abdulla, member of a committee for protecting the interests of Khanaqin people, says, “We have been asking the Iraqi government to find a long-term solution for this problem, but they have failed to do so.”

A couple of months ago, an Iraqi delegation went to Tehran to discuss the issue, but didn’t reach an agreement.

The director of Khanaqin’s water department, who was among the delegation, said the Iranians responded by saying they didn’t have enough water for themselves either.

:ohno:

Disturbing action by the a3jamiyy as expected.

If we just could build a huge wall between Iraq and Iran so they would be unable to interfere in our politics/country like in this video.

FhVtsGhq2hk

Environment ministry discuses clearing mines by 2018
9/4/2012 1:48 PM

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Minister of Environment Sergon Slaiwa today discussed the obstacles facing proclaming Iraq void of mines by 2018, a ministerial statement reported.

Spokesman Ameer Ali al-Hassoun added that Iraq joined the Ottawa agreement in 2007, which designated that Iraq should be void of all mines by the year 2018.

Technical, financial, administrative and logistical obstacles were discussed during the meetings with ministry personnel.

The Mines Department in the Ministry last year initiated a mines survey in the central Euphrates and southern provinces, where it was reported that 5800 victims were registered in Missan province.

RM (TP)/SR

MoE conducts radiological surveys for different institutions in Baghdad
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Environment assured that “The presidential palaces complex in Nasir Camp in Radhuaniya district of western Baghdad province is free of radioactive contamination.”

A statement by the Ministry cited “The Radiation protection Center within the MoE conducted environmental and radiological surveys for the presidential palaces complex in Radhuaniya district and verified that it is free of any radioactive contamination.”

“The Ministry is building an environmental and radioactive database to monitor the changes happening in the elements of the environment of soil, water and air and analyze their results in Baghdad and other provinces as well as monitoring the exported food stuff,”

The statement continued telling “The Ministry considers a step to grant consumption validity licenses through using modern technology in supervising the early radiation monitoring and set up the early warning system across Iraq including the Kurdistan Region especially on the border areas.”

“The MoE conducted a number of regular environmental and radiological surveys for the health institutions and private clinics in Baghdad in order to consider its commitment to the applicable environmental and radiation regulations,” the statement concluded.

MoE calls Basra to speed up allocating landfills centers
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Iraqi Ministry of Environment urged the municipal departments and the governmental properties in Basra province to expedite allocating places for landfill for the dangerous waste materials left by the oil projects and other industrial utilities.

A statement by the Ministry cited “The Council of Environment Protection and Improvement in Basra discussed the Ministry’s request during its 3rd session.”

“The MoE considers allocating special places for landfills to protect the environment and the human beings’ health in Iraq,” it added.

The Health Ministry has stressed, earlier, that one of the reasons behind the spread of pollution in Iraq is the lack of special centers for wastes landfills especially the chemical substances.

how extensive is recycling in iraq? especially all the domestic waste . Here each can, plastic bottle, milk carton etc.. is worth 10 c at depots, such incentives encourage recycling in iraq would create oh so much jobs

LOL. Recycling? Pretty sure it's unheard of in Iraq as of yet...

there used to be a lot of recycling in the embargo years. but not anymore. now Iraq has massive piles of plastic bottles everywhere... with the government completely "unaware" of the issue...

haha my mistake sorry for the joke, i guess they need to start using allocated waste collection with the wheelie bins before they start embarking on recycling

Nineveh allocates IQD 900 million for environmental project
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -Nineveh province has allocated IQD (900) million for the first step of funding of a project to bury Aadaah and Rihaniya locations which contain buried radioactive materials and were exposed to tampering in 2003.

A statement by the Ministry of Environment quoted the Official spokesperson of the Ministry and the General Director of Environmental media, Amer Ali al-Hasson, as saying that ”The first phase of the project will be implemented by specialized cadre of the Nineveh Projects department and the Ministry of Science and Technology submitted a project to bury Aadaah and Rihaniya locations composed of six sequential phases depending on the funds allocated for provinces development.”

The statement added that ”These allocations were unanimously approved at the last meeting of the Environment Enhancement and Protection Council in Nineveh province and the Nineveh Environment Directorate will supervise the implementation of the project to reduce its impact on the surrounding areas.” \

A delegation from the Anbar provincial council on Tuesday (December 4th) signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium of companies based in the UAE to invest in and cultivate Iraq's western desert.

The move comes five months after the Iraqi forces took control of the area and destroyed al-Qaeda's last armed strongholds there, officials said.

Saadoun al-Shaalan, the council's deputy chairperson, told Al-Shorfa that under the agreement, the companies will cultivate the area, plant trees and build roads there.

The agreement also involves establishing agricultural facilities such as poultry farms, cattle pastures and fodder plants, as well as cultivating a green belt in desert areas near cities, he said.

The memorandum will come into effect within the next few days, al-Shaalan said.

بغداد/ أصوات العراق: اثنت وزارة البيئة، الاربعاء، على استجابة وزارة الزراعة لندائها بشأن حماية غزال الريم العراقي في محافظة ميسان، من تكرار ظاهرة الصيد الجائر لهذه الحيوانات المهددة اصلا بالانقراض وحسب معايير الاتحاد العالمي لصون الطبيعة.

http://ar.aswataliraq.info/(S(xouva555e1j5xayqf1ie30y1))/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=308652&l=1

Natural reserve in Maisan province.

That is very good news Sheytan. Just read it earlier today. About time!

Maisan is surprising yet again.

The most worrying think is that Turkey, Syria and iran are closing their dams. The marshes are still struggling due to this (among many other factors).

It's difficult to see what can be done about it.

The Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology on Thursday (December 20th) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the European Union (EU) to build a $2.6 million landfill for dumping radioactive nuclear waste, according to a ministry statement.

During a joint press conference with Iraqi Science and Technology Minister Abdul Karim al-Sammarae, the head of the EU Delegation to Iraq, Ambassador Jana Hybášková, said the memorandum will complete joint activities and programmes that began in 2008.

The grant allocates money to design and prepare a landfill and train Iraqi scientists in the field, she said.

Al-Sammarae said the MoU is slated to take effect for a maximum of three years, during which all destroyed nuclear facilities are to be liquidated.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20121225147083

Iraq’s most senior energy official called for coordinated Arab action on climate change while Egypt’s environment minister proposed a regional green fund at a conference in Baghdad Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussein Al-Shahristani warned of the risk of flooding, and also pointed to desertification and sandstorms affecting Iraq in his call for regional efforts to combat climate change.

The two-day conference comes after the World Bank warned in a report this month that global warming will have dire consequences for the Middle East and North Africa, with even hotter and drier conditions devastating everything from agriculture to tourism.

“All Arab countries must work under the Arab League to confront climate change,” Shahristani said in opening remarks to the conference in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone.

“The danger now is the threat of flooding in many areas, in addition to the phenomena of desertification and sandstorms that we suffer from here in Iraq.”

Iraq’s environment ministry estimated in 2009 that 39 percent of the country’s surface was affected by desertification, while a further 54 percent was under threat.

It also estimated that Iraq loses around 250 square kilometers of arable land annually due to degradation of various kinds.

Also at the conference, Egypt’s Minister of State for the Environment Mostapha Hussein Kamel called for the establishment of an Arab fund to back environmental projects in the region. – AFP

Aswat Al Iraq / Variety , Baghdad , Civil Society
IAEA praises Iraq's environment ministry's efforts
12/28/2012 6:58 PM

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has hailed the efforts made by the Iraqi environment ministry regarding the radiation protection center in protecting those working in the project to close all nuclear facilities in Iraq.


"The IAEA report released after the meeting which was held in Vienna hailed the radiation supervisions of the radiation protection center and includes clear comfortable for the application of radiation safety standards according to the IAEA standards and regulations in this regard," Amir Ali al-Hassoun, an official form the ministry, said.


"The Vienna meeting, held with the participation of international experts and the radiation protection center's representatives, tackled the work of the destroyed nuclear facilities in Baghdad and Ninewa," he added.

AnaeCo (ASX: ANQ) has inked a memorandum of understanding with Repindo Resources to cooperatively explore the implementation of AnaeCo’s DiCOM™ alternative waste technology at a suitable site in Basra, Iraq.

Repindo Resources provides equipment, services and support to several international business sectors including the waste management sector.

The company is working with the Basra Governorate Council to deliver a 500,000 tonne per annum waste facility.

Under the terms of the MoU, AnaeCo and Repindo will consider the technical and commercial feasibility of deploying AnaeCo’s patented DiCOM™ solution under licence in Basra.

The DiCOM™ bioconversion process incorporates advanced sorting, recycling, anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting to recycle municipal solid waste into renewable energy from biogas, agricultural grade compost and recyclables such as steel, aluminium, glass and plastics.

AnaeCo would manage the design and commissioning of the proposed waste facility and Repindo would have project management and construction responsibilities.

The waste facility would be owned and operated by a joint venture company between Repindo and the Basra Governorate Council.


http://www.anaeco.com/

Iraq works on aerial radioactivity detection system
21-01-2013 - 10:22

Iraq Society
Environment Ministry in Diyala province announced on Monday that it started working on a pioneering system to monitor radioactivity in the air, confirming that this system will provide an early warning in case any radioactive pollutants circulate the city.

“This project, first of its kind in detecting radiation and measuring air pollution percentages, will soon be concluded”, said head of Diyala’s Environment directorate, Abdullah Al Shamri in a statement to Alsumaria. He pointed out that “this system will monitor air radioactive pollution and will provide an early warning in case any radioactive pollutants are present”.

“The system will read the data provided by other secondar/> The Radiation Protection Center is a monitoring and consultative entity affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Environment established for the first time in 2003. It aims to protect the environment, preserve nature and biodiversity, promote sustainable development resources by drawing general policies and setting yearly plans to protect the environment and find suitable solutions for surging problems and finally coordinating with ministries and specialized institutions.y systems via the internet”, added Al Shamri, highlighting that “it also analyses the data provided and conducts measurements to determine the radioactive isotopes and the energy emanating due to a program conceived for this purpose”.

“The directorate initiated project operation in the city of Baqubah after the specialized technical team concluded the installation phase.

Environment Ministry announced on October 2011, that an early warning system has been installed on border regions to detect external radioactive pollutants that come from neighboring countries and confirmed it started building a main station in radiation protection center alongside other stations within the city.

interesting project. I had in the past proposed an airborne gravimetric survey aircraft for the environment ministry... which they didn't buy naturally :D good to see they're finally catching on with modernity.

Anbar installs three meteorological stations
ENVIRONMENT | 2013-01-22
Anbar University's Renewable Energy Research Centre last week finished installing three meteorological stations in Ramadi, al-Qaim and al-Nukhayb, officials said.

Centre director Saleh Mohammed Saleh said physicists and geophysicists will collect and analyse data at the new stations, which will provide information on agricultural sciences, water resources and desertification, as well as offer explanations on weather changes in Iraq.

Scientists also will use the data they collect to ensure emergency measures are taken before disasters like hurricanes, floods and heavy rainfalls, he said.

"Scientific staff with the required skills and experience was trained to manage the meteorological stations, which will relay data to the responsible authorities in Anbar and Baghdad, while also saving this information in a modern database on a sophisticated computer network system," Saleh said.

Places like agricultural research centres, water and dam departments, and transport and travel offices will rely on these stations to monitor the weather and record temperatures and wind velocity as these affect travel activities and navigation in the province, he said.

A committee of engineers and technicians completed the installations in accordance with international designs and specifications, said Rifaat Matar al-Dulaimi, director of Anbar University's media department.

They erected 50-metre poles with thermal and air sensors to record temperatures and wind velocities at each site, he told Mawtani.

Additional stations are slated to be installed in other areas in the future, he said.

Dhergham Abdul Kareem, who is supervising the weather observation station in Ramadi, said additional stations would be built in the coming period as Anbar province – which constitutes one third of Iraq – is "vast".

"Towns and villages in Anbar are remote and widely dispersed, and a large part of the province is desert and needs more than six meteorological stations," he told Mawtani.

Committees of scientists and engineers will monitor the stations, he said, adding that staff will be trained to conduct regular equipment repairs and inspections using an electronic inspection system.

Didn't know where to put it -.-

Iraqi project attempts to curb oil pollution
2013-01-24
Engineers and specialists from the Iraqi ministries of environment and oil started work this month on a joint project to address environmental pollution caused by the country's oil facilities.

The project will "check the extent of the oil companies' compliance with the world's environmental standards and guidelines regarding the treatment of oil industry leftovers", Amir Ali al-Hassoun, director of the environmental awareness and media directorate, told Mawtani.

It also will address "how to get rid of oil effluent without leaving any negative impact on the environment", he said.

The two ministries are monitoring the oil companies' use of modern, environment-friendly technologies and equipment to recycle toxic oil effluents, he said, and will "deal firmly" with companies that violate legislation on the issuance of solid, liquid and gas emissions.

The Ministry of Environment "is continually working through its inspection teams, deployed throughout the provinces, to observe and identify cases of pollution in oil production fields and processing refineries", al-Hassoun said.

Teams are conducting laboratory tests and analysis of areas around industrial and production facilities to ensure companies take proper measures to curb the level of pollutants, he added.

Fines are being imposed on companies in violation, and some will be closed down, al-Hassoun said. The effluent recycling process also is being monitored.

The efficiency and performance of treatment units, their recycling capacities and the extent to which they meet the internationally-observed environmental standards are being evaluated, he said, adding that teams are "following up on the state of the hygienic dumping sites".

"Oil pollution is a very serious matter, because gaseous emissions and liquid and solid pollutants threaten not only human life but also the entire environmental system," al-Hassoun said.

The Ministry of Environment is dealing with this with the "highest degree of firmness," he said, adding that "addressing pollution threats is a collective responsibility not restricted to one party".

In addition to monitoring measures, he said, the ministry strives "to reinforce the culture of protecting the environment and promoting general awareness on the necessity to support government efforts in this respect".

Environmental conservation a top priority

Oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told Mawtani the two ministries have been working together to address the issue of effluents produced by oil refineries and installations.

"We have at the ministry headquarters a special section concerned with following up on this issue," he said. "We work through joint committees with environmental specialists to ensure the proper application of environmental standards in processes related to the oil industry."

The Oil Ministry "is one of the pioneering ministries in the area of environmental conservation", Jihad said. "It placed [the environment] at the top of its priorities when concluding contracts with international companies that develop oil fields."

The contracts "bind them to treat oil effluents during the entire length of their work in Iraq, employing the latest technological methods, and to recycle them for maximum benefit," he added.

The Oil Ministry also is working to rehabilitate and develop its facilities' infrastructures, Jihad said.

Advanced technology is being introduced in oil production and refining operations and in recycling industrial effluents to ensure the proper disposal of pollutants and the delivery of high quality oil products to the consumers, he said.

"Caring for the environment has become one of the essential necessities in our present time and a major international issue not restricted to a particular geographic region," Qassim Mohammed Qassim, secretary of the parliamentary oil committee, told Mawtani.

"Confronting the effluents, gases and industrial pollutants, particularly those resulting from the petroleum industry, represents today a major challenge before the countries of the world which have started to employ various necessary methods to curb pollution," he said.

Qassim expressed his committee's support for all Iraqi efforts to create a clean, healthy environment, and said it was important to benefit from international expertise in this area "and to use advanced technology at every level of industrial activity, particularly in the oil sector".

Iraq to build 7 recycling plants
2013-03-04
The Iraqi government on Monday (March 4th) approved a plan to build seven waste recycling plants worth 29 billion Iraqi dinars ($25 million) at sites around the country.

"The plan is in line with the country's bid to improve the environment, remove waste from the main cities and eliminate the causes of diseases," Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq told Al-Shorfa.

The new plants will be located in Baghdad, Mosul, Babil, Najaf, Anbar, Diyala and Wasit, he said, and Turkish, Lebanese and Emirati companies have been contracted to carry out the project.

The project, which will be partially funded by the International Monetary Fund, is slated to be completed within 18 months.

Babil youth camp raises environmental awareness
ENVIRONMENT | 2013-03-28
The Iraqi Ministry of Environment recently sponsored a youth camp in Babil province to promote environmental education and peaceful co-existence among the country's various sects.

The two-day camp, entitled "A sound environment starts with you", began March 15th at the Babil tourist gardens and resort and drew about 200 students and young people from several provinces.

The Babil youth camp was the third of its kind, following two camps sponsored by the ministry earlier this year in Wasit and al-Diwaniyah provinces, the ministry's deputy director of information Mustafa Hameed Majeed told Mawtani.

"We are also about to start a new camp this month in Baghdad as part of the festivities marking Baghdad as capital of Arab culture," he said.

The ministry plans to hold similar gatherings around the country, Majeed said, "with the aim of raising the level of environmental awareness among students and youths, whose energies and capabilities can be used to enhance our efforts to achieve a sound environment free of all types of pollutants".

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL UNITY
The camp also hoped to strengthen national unity, peaceful co-existence, brotherhood and solidarity between all participants, Babil environmental office director of information Haidar Shankar told Mawtani.

"The objective behind this event was to boost the role played by students and youths in promoting the concepts of environmental education among various social groups," he said.

There is a collective responsibility to preserve the environment, he said, "which makes it incumbent on all of us to protect the environment, and create new rules for dealing with it in a positive way to ensure the preservation of a clean, healthy living".

Camp activities included cultural events such as artistic and poetry evenings, an exhibit of environment-related photos and lectures by environmentalists on the importance of the environment and how to preserve it.

Young people were encouraged to keep the environment clean and plant their own home gardens, and received guidance in the methods necessary to prevent pests and epidemics and fight all kinds of pollutants, Shankar said.

Participants also planted trees and distributed garbage containers and bags to local residents to encourage them to co-operate with the municipal and environmental offices.

Habib al-Tarfy, a member of the parliament's health and environment committee, described the sponsorship of environment-focused youth camps as an "urgent necessity".

The camps help "educate the young on the dangers affecting our environment, and the means available to limit their impact, in addition to harnessing their energies to confront environmental problems and direct public opinion towards preserving natural resources", he said.

"A bad environment means a general decline in all the components of the state, particularly the human element, which is directly affected by any breakdown in the environmental system," al-Tarfy said. "Therefore, it is our duty to be more cautious in dealing with the environment, because it is the huge house in which we live."

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/04/01/Iraq-s-historic-Lake-Sawa-suffers-from-neglect.html

Reuters - Samawah-Iraq

One of the most well-known lakes in Iraq, Lake Sawa, is a large closed body of salt water situated in the desert between Baghdad and Basra.

The lake is dubbed by some as “the Pearl of the South” for its beauty and unique composition. It is surrounded by a cliff of piled sand dunes, providing a natural levee that keeps the water above ground level. And as the lake has no proven link to either river or sea, the source of its water has been a mystery to researchers for centuries.

“There are those who believe that the lake is linked to the red sea or to other remote lakes, while some people believe that the water of the lake come from rains of al-Dammam basin or from the west desert. There are different opinions, but the most likely is that the water of the lake comes from groundwater in this location,” says Dr. Ali Hussein, head of the Research and Studies Centre in Samawah University.

Four species of small fish and other aquatic organisms have been found in Lake Sawa, which stretches about four kilometers long and one kilometer wide, says Hussein.

“The studies proved that there are four species of small fish that grow to a certain size of 15 cm or 20 cm. The purpose of the fish and aquatic organisms in the lake is to feed migratory birds, but the fish themselves are not fit for human consumption [due to high fat content],” explains Hussein.

Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine and carbonates are the essential elements that make up Lake Sawa’s water and, with further studies, could prove useful in treating skin conditions, says Hussein.

“There are many people who suffer from skin diseases in this area and in the surrounding areas. They come and swim in the lake for it [their condition] to improve, diseases, skin diseases. Yes, part of the answer is that yes it can be used as a natural cure for skin diseases. But this needs more research and studies to reach certain facts for it to be offered as a place that can treat certain types of skin diseases,’’ he says.

Lake Sawa was once a popular tourist destination attracting visitors from the nearby city of Samawah and all over the country. But years of neglect has turned the resort into a dilapidated ghost town, just like many other touristic and historic destinations in Iraq.

“There was a resort and it was teeming with tourists. There were also installations as you see. But it had been stolen and vandalized after the first Gulf War in 1990. The same thing happened in 2003,” laments geomorphologist Sa’ed Jassim.

The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is currently seeking investors to help with tourism projects in al-Diwaniyah province, according to local media, in an attempt to revive tourism in local landmarks including Lake Sawa.

Conduct CABSAT waste in the streets of Baghdad free card system that is distributed to citizens
27 mars 2013

http://www.non14.net/filestorage/contentfiles/2013/03_13/270313121758_140_1.jpg


Announced the Under Secretariat of Baghdad Municipal Affairs Engineer (Naeem al-Kaabi) for the preparation of a new mechanism for the conduct of CABSAT trash in the streets and shops of the capital Baghdad by using the free card system, which will be distributed to citizens.

Quoted and Media Relations Directorate told Nun news reporting Kaabi as saying that “the secretariat of Baghdad prepared a new mechanism for passing CABSAT trash in the streets and shops of the capital Baghdad by using the free card system, which will be distributed to the homes of citizens.”

He added that “this procedure includes about (500) residential locality in the capital Baghdad through the conduct of CABSAT garbage in the streets and alleys starting at six in the morning until midnight with identifying timelines to remove waste and filed.”

He said the “municipal districts will distribute the waste bags for free with two first collection of organic waste and the other for waste collection other Kalplacetk, iron, wood and paper form that contributes to reduce the quantities reaching the landfill health and extend the life of landfills and to benefit from the waste and recycling,” noting that “the Municipality of Baghdad intends to use an alarm clock and a special tone in Kabsadtha to alert citizens by reaching for waste removal bags of houses. ”

He pointed out that “this experience will contribute to maintaining the cleanliness and aesthetic capital and reduce the amount of waste and the reduction of detachment random shooting by reducing the amounts that are spent on waste collection of random sites.”

Amanat Baghdad gifts families of new-borns with a plant
ENVIRONMENT | 2013-04-24
In a bid to promote a culture of tree-planting and environmental stewardship, Amanat Baghdad plans to give the families of each new-born baby a plant as a gift.

The mayoralty announced the initiative on Iraqi Environment Day (April 15th).

Plants and trees of various types are to be planted in the family's home garden or at a public garden "to match the age of the child", the mayoralty's public relations director Hakim Abdul Zahra told Mawtani.

Families can go to the parks and landscaping directorate in al-Zawraa Park, or any of the nurseries operated by the agricultural sections of the mayoralty's municipal districts, with their child's birth certificate in hand to receive their free plant, he said.

"By starting this initiative, Amanat Baghdad seeks to encourage citizens to plant their private home gardens and public parks, and to care more for them, which will in the end reinforce a culture of tree planting among the public as a healthy practice and civilised behaviour," Abdul Zahra said.

"We also hope this step will help expand the green areas in our capital, as they are crucial in reducing environmental pollution, maintaining the environment's natural balance, and supporting the national effort to fight desertification, dust storms and high temperatures," he said.

"The increase in trees and plants would also give the city an aesthetic lustre, full of natural colours, bringing calm and comfort to the public so they can relax and enjoy the green landscape," Abdul Zahra said.

Planting productive trees such as palm, citrus and olive would also have economic benefits, he added.

Amir Ali al-Hassoun, spokesman for the Iraqi Environment Ministry, told Mawtani the initiative "came about in response to continuous calls our ministry made to all the relevant parties to take steps to double tree planting drives, and protect the environment against all kinds of pollutants".

"We view this step with satisfaction," he said. "It is a good step that will help urge citizens to partake in efforts aimed at increasing green areas."

"The ministry is ready to collaborate to make such environmental initiatives successful," he added.

Al-Hassoun said his ministry is working with the agriculture and municipalities ministries, among others, to increase areas of plant coverage and establish green belts around cities.

"Good results have been achieved in this respect in many of the provinces, such as in al-Diwaniyah and al-Najaf," he added.

CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS ESSENTIAL
These efforts have met with some challenges, al-Hassoun said.

There have been difficulties in taking ownership of some lands designated for tree planting projects, he said, and housing violations on lands registered as agricultural.

Various ministries are attempting to resolve such issues, he said.

Meanwhile, Habib al-Tarfy, a member in the Iraqi parliament's health and environment committee, praised the initiative.

"It is a positive thing to see Amanat Baghdad launch such civilised initiatives, which will have considerable impact on developing a sense of responsibility among citizens," he said.

Citizens will "be working side by side with the other relevant government offices to create a healthy, green environment", he added.

"Our country is suffering today from an increase in desert land, a problem that led to various environmental and health problems, as represented by the frequent dust storms, respiratory system diseases and also numerous economic problems," he told Mawtani.

"Therefore, it is incumbent on all, whether citizens or specialised government parties, to establish joint co-operation to curb desertification and its effects by intensifying tree planting campaigns and improving the general environmental situation by paying attention to general cleanliness, fighting pollution and preserving ecological diversity," al-Tarfy said.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/29/8000-years-after-its-advent-agriculture-is-withering-in-southern-iraq/

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Iraq's Marshlands Bloom Again, Restoring Traditional Way Of Life (http://www.rferl.org/content/iraq-marshlands/24977090.html)

Never forget this travesty inflicted upon Iraq's native population. This is where Abu Diri3's vengeance stems from... He is from the Marshes.

2014: Year of Environment in Iraq, Premier Maliki

5/21/2013

BAGHDAD/ Aswat al-Iraq: Minister of Environment Sarkon Slaiwa announced here today that Premier Nouri al-Maliki decided that the year 2014 shall be allocated for environment.

In a statement, copy received by Aswat al-Iraq, the minister pointed out the negligence on environmental levels in Iraq for the last decades that was reflected on the daily life of the Iraqi society.