Iraq Turns into “Heat Islands”: Trees Killed for Real Estate Development Despite Climate Crisis

Baghdad – Fatima Karim

When the sun sets over Baghdad’s sky, Abu Ali goes out to water the plants he has grown in front of his house, filling the air with the scent of soil. Trees now line the street, and his grandchildren often race to play in the garden after their grandfather has created a pleasant atmosphere to relieve them from the heat.

Hamdan Mohammed, a man in his sixties from the Jawadain district in Baghdad, has lived in this area for about five years. He says, “Since I bought the house, I was determined to plant the garden. For me, planting is my only outlet in life. You could say I’m obsessed with gardening.”

After Abu Ali lost his 20-donum land in the Taji area due to water scarcity and crop failure, he was forced to sell it under pressure from his children, following the government’s decision to allow ownership and disposal of agricultural lands. However, he couldn’t abandon what he had grown up with and lived for. He continued gardening even after losing his land, saying, “Wherever I find soil, I can plant even a small plant without hesitation. I find my hands have dug the earth and planted something in it.”

 

 

The sight of trees in Abu Ali’s modest home exudes positive energy and psychological comfort. The amount of oxygen inside the house is greater than outside. “I plant my trees with love and blessing,” Abu Ali comments.

He adds, “Plants protect my grandchildren’s lives.” He worries about the speed of passing cars and children’s lack of attention to the road. “My grandchildren could have an accident, God forbid, as almost happened a few weeks ago when I nearly lost one of them if not for God’s grace. But now they can play in the garden, and I’ll be assured they won’t go out to the street.”

Abu Ali’s house is almost the only one on the street with a large garden. Most houses are fully built and consist of several floors. This scene is now common in all areas of Baghdad. The traditional Baghdad houses, where gardens were essential, are no longer a familiar style. Modern houses have become blocks of stone, glass, and iron, and it’s rare to see a house like Abu Ali’s.

Expert Nawal Mohammed Salman, a professor of urban planning with a Ph.D. in Geography, says, “Baghdad and some governorates have become heat islands covered by residential complexes instead of trees, as they have turned into malls, residential complexes, and restaurants. Green spaces have begun to decrease with the increase in concrete buildings, which is one of the most important factors contributing to the rise in temperatures. It’s become delightful to find a house in Baghdad with a large garden that is well-maintained.”

 

Salman emphasizes the importance of afforestation for the soil, as it protects it from erosion factors and reduces dust storms on cities. It also reduces the speed of floods as they act as barriers. Regarding the loss of agricultural land in Iraq due to lack of vegetation cover, she says, “37 million donums in the alluvial plain in the center and south have desertified, and 19 million donums of them have become unsuitable for agriculture.”

She adds that the three sectors in Iraq that contribute most to pollution in sequence are the construction and building sector, the transport sector, and oil extraction. All these factors have combined to make Iraqi cities “heat islands,” areas covered by buildings with few green spaces, many factories, and the use of non-environmentally friendly building materials that absorb and store heat in the atmosphere.

Abu Ali plants perennial trees suitable for Iraq’s climate in his garden, such as olive, pomegranate, bitter orange, and palm trees. He is now waiting for his “beloved” – as he calls it – the pomegranate tree, to ripen its fruits so he can harvest and eat them with his grandchildren. He doesn’t forget the authentic Iraqi dates, known for their finest quality, saying, “We Iraqis endure the heat of August to eat dates in the end.”

The results of tree planting are significant for the climate. Trees remove pollutants from the air and maintain lower temperatures, as well as providing shade for people and their cars from the sun. More importantly, they preserve the organic materials of the soil and protect it from erosion, and act as barriers to the dust storms that sweep the country every year.

Dr. Afaq Ibrahim, an expert in desertification, notes the necessity of choosing the right tree to plant in the right place, taking into account environmental and climatic factors in the place where the tree is planted, and even the surrounding community, as all these factors affect its continuity and prevent it from being cut down. Among the most important trees that grow in Iraq’s climate, tolerating high temperatures, water scarcity, and soil salinity, are “Sidr, olive, pomegranate, bitter orange, eucalyptus, albizia, and oak.”

She adds, “In the past, there were severe penalties for cutting down a tree from the street, including imprisonment or a fine. But today, unfortunately, we see the government cutting down trees to expand the street or build a residential complex.”

Cutting, burning, and thirst – all of this is experienced by trees in Iraq, the country most affected by climate change, in a society suffering from scorching summer heat. The only solution to face this is afforestation and preserving trees, not just planting them.

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Al-Khuzaie, says, “We strive to make Baghdad and the rest of Iraq’s governorates forested and ideal. Iraq has not witnessed real, well-planned afforestation campaigns since the previous regime, and this is due to the weak communication between the concerned authorities.”

He adds that Iraq needs about 15 billion and 200 million trees to restore its lost vegetation cover and restore its environmental balance. This number is not insignificant and requires intensive and continuous efforts and ongoing follow-up to transform barren lands into green ones.

Environmental expert Hussein Ali recounts an incident of cutting down a 60-year-old tree in one of Baghdad’s streets. When asked about cutting it, they answered, “It causes dirt.” He says, “I felt shocked, and for the first time, I didn’t know what to say to them. They consider fallen tree leaves as dirt and don’t care about the waste that fills the streets at the time. In other countries, these leaves are not cleaned up but left on the ground to form a beautiful scene that brings reassurance.”

Environmental experts suggest several solutions to the phenomenon of desertification in Iraq, including seeking help from experts who have precise scientific specialization in restoring lands that are no longer suitable for agriculture, highlighting the importance of afforestation and preserving it, increasing society’s awareness of climate change through the media, and enacting strict laws on tree cutting and orchard bulldozing.

As for Abu Ali, he doesn’t need much effort to be convinced of the importance of afforestation. He inherited the love of planting trees instinctively. He puts his palms one in the palm of the other behind his back as he wanders among his grandchildren whose voices have risen in the garden, to joke with them and watch them play. “I will continue to care for these trees until I die and will not abandon them,” he says with determination.

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