Iraq

Iraq is a nation grappling with significant and interconnected environmental, security, political, and economic challenges. Rising temperatures, intense droughts, declining precipitation, desertification, salinization, and the increasing prevalence of dust storms have undermined Iraq’s agricultural sector, already long in decline. Compounding these trends is the threat of water scarcity. National and regional political volatility and uncertainty will make mitigating the effects of climate change and addressing the critical issue of transnational water management very difficult. The current trajectory of increasing temperatures, reduced precipitation, and increasing water scarcity will likely have serious implications for the country. The energy sector serves as the predominant source of GHG emissions in Iraq, with nearly half of emissions from fugitive emissions, followed by electricity/heat, transportation, manufacturing/construction, and other fuel combustion.