Iraq’s Desertification: The Complication of Environmental Security Issues

<p>Iraq’s numerous environmental problems are interconnected, with one issue leading to another and complicating matters further. Natural and human-induced climate change, a significant decline in rainfall, surface and groundwater depletion, reduced vegetation, deforestation, increasing dust and sandstorms, soil erosion, loss of fertile land and green cover, and the shrinkage of marshes are all intertwined and affecting one another. Their most prominent manifestation is perhaps the transformation of Iraq’s fertile lands into deserts, a phenomenon known as desertification. This paper examines the government’s attempts to combat the problem and the obstacles encountered. It contrasts the efforts of China and Africa against desertification and draws lessons for Iraq. It argues that desertification, along with other environmental issues, poses a genuine threat to the security of the populace and the future of the country.</p>