Reforestation

 Desertification is a consequence of land degradation in a semi-arid climate region which is caused by human activities and climate change. Aside from the abandonment of unproductive agricultural land which lessens vegetation cover, uncontrolled felling of trees is a major contributory factor towards both the rising temperature and the increasingly severe dust storms which have been battering Iraq for the last two decades. Rates of dust storms are running at 120 a year and increasing exponentially. This figure doesn’t include the days when dust still hangs in the air adversely affecting people’s daily life.

Trees once covered more than 60% of Iraq’s land but this has dropped to less than 4%.

One Dunam of land (1,000 square metres) of forest can absorb 140 kilograms of carbon dioxide and three to five tonnes of dust each year. Replanting lost forests will go a long way to capturing greenhouse gas emissions as well as stabilising soil, decreasing salinization and desertification.

Thoughtful tree planting in cities can go a long way to shading against high summer temperatures. Apart from allowing people some respite under the canopy it importantly reduces sunlight hitting the ground. The built urban environment consists of concrete and bitumen-covered roads all which which act as a massive heat sink absorbing heat in the daytime and releasing it at night. Shading these surfaces can make a significant difference of several degrees centigrade allowing daily life to become a little more comfortable.

Correctly located tree planting schemes on the perimeter of cities will act as a windbreak during dust storms and can trap and reduce the quantity of airborne dust.

Awareness is growing amongst the public. Supported by environmentalists and volunteers, and even in some cases nursery owners supplying free saplings, Iraqis have been engaging in neighbourhood tree-planting campaigns, both as individuals and as group efforts. They believe these actions are part of the necessary response to combat the damage climate change is wreaking in Iraq, the devastating effects of which are already being deeply felt. They hope their initiatives will encourage government action and spark official large-scale reforestation campaigns, which they in turn hope will help combat the growing threats posed by ever more frequent dust storms and rising temperatures.

Prompting local authorities and ministries to demand a commitment to such projects has for the most part proved difficult and unrewarding. A national effort to replant forests – palm trees in the south and west, indigenous species in Kurdistan – as the Mesopotamia Revitalisation Project envisages, would not only begin to redress the harm caused by human activity across these areas but also act as a carbon sink. Additionally once established the newly planted land will provide a shaded environment to produce fruit and vegetables.

The number of saplings required would create new jobs in horticulture and a boost to local areas of the economy. From academic research through to production, growing and nurturing of saplings can provide sustainable employment for decades to come. This will tie in with abandoning outdated agricultural methods and preserving the country’s vegetation cover which is also part of the problem and another priority.

Rainwater harvesting and storage and the use of treated wastewater can be deployed using the latest water-efficient irrigation technology that delivers more precise amounts needed by each sapling as opposed to the current wasteful channel irrigation methods.

Reforestation is an entirely workable solution which could start on an ambitious scale required to mitigate climate change impact almost immediately if there is a will and determination at the government level.

Planting millions of Dunams of forest is now urgently needed to reduce CO2 emissions, increase oxygen levels and cut pollution.