Climate Change and Its Impact on Iraqi Food Security

Climate change is a complex phenomenon related to changing weather patterns and temperatures over long periods of time, so that this change is no longer a purely natural subject, but is caused by human activities, especially through the emission of greenhouse gases resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and industrial and agricultural activity. In recent years, Iraq has experienced an increase in temperatures and higher evaporation rates of water, which has negatively affected the water resources necessary for irrigation of agricultural lands. This lack of water exacerbates the problems of drought and leads to a deterioration in soil fertility, which impairs the productive capacity of farmers to obtain successful and high-quality agricultural crops. Such conditions also contribute to the acceleration of erosion processes and the loss of soil of its agricultural value.The impact of these factors is not limited only to agricultural production, but also extends to the level of food security in general; a decrease in domestic production leads to increased dependence on food imports, which puts pressure on the public budget and raises food prices.