Every year, dust storms and smog caused by industrial pollution are sending hundreds of people to the hospitals throughout Iraq. At the same time, the country is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases caused by flaring from fossil fuels. With the summer heat already starting to rise, Iraq faces tough choices if it wants to mitigate the worst effects of the climate furnace it is rapidly becoming. For World Environment Day, and building on our Environment and Climate Action program in Iraq and our ongoing work on climate, conflict and environment , this report identifies major pollution sources and puts forward a set of recommendations to bolster the country’s climate action agenda.
The growing challenges of air pollution in Iraq cannot be disconnected from its violent history, in which repeated wars and conflicts resulted in massive conflict-related emissions. The bombing of oil wells and facilities, as well as ongoing fighting in forested areas causing wildfires are driving the release of large volumes of pollutants. These wars also severely degraded state institutions, which in turn affected environmental governance and regulatory enforcement in the post-conflict phase. With its vast fossil fuel industry, growing urbanisation – which demands significant amounts of construction materials – and outdated energy infrastructure, Iraq faces a climate disaster. The frequency and intensity of sand storms are already going up, which is increasingly hampering daily life, and threatening people’s health and livelihoods. This will drive further economic disruption and affect natural resources people depend on, with potential rise in tensions within society or between the population and the government if not addressed timely and robustly.
With novel research datasets based on remote sensing and artificial intelligence becoming more available, the report visualizes the various sources of air pollution. The findings also underscore the hazardous mix caused by the oil industry, both from flaring and methane release, and by cities that are turning into toxic heat traps due to car congestion, diesel-powered generators, solid waste burning, and peripheral heavy industries. Combined, these factors are choking Iraqi civilians in a form of slow violence. At the same time, the government’s capacity to collect environmental data is lacking, which hampers the development of effective policies to address pollution sources.
The historical context of conflict-pollution, combined with weak post-conflict policy responses, demonstrates why addressing environmental impacts of conflicts should be part of global policy discussions around climate change mitigation and adaptation. There are major lessons to be learned for other conflict contexts such as Syria, Yemen and Libya, which are already facing similar environmental crises. This is particularly relevant for the upcoming 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil, as conflict-affected countries raise their voices to prioritize the intersection of climate, conflict, and humanitarian action in negotiations, and to ensure climate funding is tailored to their needs. In the case of Iraq, the country’s climate agenda – and any programs and funding in support of it – should incorporate measures to address the root causes of air pollution, including conflict impacts, through innovative technological measures, developing robust policies, strengthening governance and enforcing environmental regulations.
Beyond that, the report also aims to highlight the elephant in the room when it comes to addressing climate change: namely, the severity of fossil fuel pollution in conflict-affected states. It is crucial to improve the documentation of its effects by strengthening data collection and monitoring, and to spur action for rapid decarbonisation through transition to sustainable energy – a shift that requires the concerted effort of national authorities, the international community, and society as a whole.
