Contrasting Outcomes in Urban Forestry: Baghdad and Erbil's Approaches

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The growing environmental disparity between Iraq’s major cities underscores a defining challenge of the country’s urban future: how to restore balance between urban expansion and ecological preservation. In Baghdad, a once-promising forest project has faltered amid neglect and drought, while Erbil has continued to make tangible progress in green development, energy reform, and environmental protection.

In Baghdad, a major initiative once envisioned as a symbol of renewal—the plan to cultivate a forest of one million trees across 12 million square meters on the former Rasheed Military Base—has come to a standstill. Launched with the aim of combating desertification and restoring the capital’s greenery, the project has instead turned into a stretch of dry and barren land.

More than six months after its foundation stone was laid, there is little to show for the effort. Construction work has halted repeatedly, and most of the few trees planted in the early phase have withered. Thousands of families residing around the site now face dusty winds and broken expectations in place of the fresh landscape they were promised.

Local residents expressed to Kurdistan24 their deep disappointment at the decline of the city’s greenery. Hassan Abbas, a Baghdad resident, recalled, “This area used to be one of the most beautiful parts of Baghdad. We would sit under its trees during the summer heat, but now only dry trunks remain—they cannot even cast a shadow.”

Similarly, Amer Ashour said, “Every year, more trees are cut down, and green spaces are gradually vanishing from Baghdad.”

While official data remains unavailable, field observations confirm that the capital’s green areas have dropped to their lowest levels in decades, giving way to expanding concrete and infrastructure developments. The contrast highlights a deeper issue in Iraq’s environmental planning: the absence of consistent policy to protect and expand urban greenery amid climate pressures.

In contrast, Erbil continues to demonstrate how structured planning and sustained policy can transform a city’s environmental landscape. Over the past six years, the Kurdistan Region’s green coverage has risen from 15% to 18%, and the figure is projected to surpass 25% upon the completion of the Green Belt Project, one of the most extensive ecological initiatives in the region’s history.

Public parks across Erbil now serve as vital spaces for recreation and community life. The city’s Sami Abdulrahman Park stands as a prime example—a vast green expanse that provides residents with fresh air and tranquility at the heart of an expanding urban environment.

“I come here every day after dropping my children at school,” said Bakhtyar Salim, one of the park’s visitors. “I exercise and enjoy the clean air. These green areas are as essential as roads—they are a lifeline for city residents.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced plans for five additional parks in Erbil, covering 198 donums and including the planting of over 35,000 trees, further complemented by the Green Belt Project, which aims to plant seven million trees surrounding the city to act as a natural environmental barrier.

For residents such as Jalal Mahmoud, these initiatives have already reshaped daily life. “I visit the park several times a week early in the morning,” he told Kurdistan24. “These places bring positive energy and help us stay active and healthy away from urban noise.”

The expansion of Erbil’s green infrastructure forms part of a broader KRG strategy to protect the environment and improve urban life. Alongside reforestation, the government is implementing the Runaki project, which aims to ensure 24-hour electricity by the end of 2026 while simultaneously decommissioning more than 7,000 private generators across the region. The move seeks to reduce carbon emissions, enhance air quality, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier urban atmosphere.

This dual commitment—to both environmental renewal and energy modernization—illustrates a comprehensive model for sustainable governance, balancing immediate urban needs with long-term ecological preservation.

However, beyond Erbil’s successes, much of central and southern Iraq continues to face a deepening ecological crisis. Expanding drought has devastated farmlands that once served as vital agricultural hubs for the nation. Once-fertile plains that produced vegetables and animal fodder have turned into dry, cracked soil, leaving farmers desperate for water and government support.

Only citrus orchards and palm groves remain, resilient to drought but surrounded by fields stripped of their vitality.

One farmer told Kurdistan24, “We no longer plant anything except citrus and palm trees because they can withstand dryness. The government allows irrigation only one day a week, which is not enough. We have stopped planting vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, okra, and cucumbers that once filled Baghdad’s markets.”

Another farmer, standing beside his parched land, added, “Our lands were once green and productive, but now they have turned barren because of water scarcity. We are waiting for government support to restore irrigation, or agriculture here will disappear completely.”

A third farmer summarized the situation bluntly: “The drought has destroyed our agricultural life. The soil is dry, crops are gone, and many have left farming because of the lack of water. We hope the authorities revise the irrigation policy before farming disappears from these regions.”

Environmental specialists warn that agricultural production in Iraq’s central and southern provinces has dropped by more than half over recent years due to rising temperatures, reduced river inflows, and outdated irrigation systems.

Experts stress that Iraq’s food security is under serious threat if immediate measures are not implemented to manage water resources effectively, introduce modern irrigation techniques, and support farmers in adapting to accelerating climate change.

While farmers await the seasonal rains as their last hope, the arid fields of Iraq stand as a reminder of a larger struggle—one that transcends soil and weather to affect livelihoods, cities, and the nation’s ecological identity.

Between Baghdad’s halted forest project and Erbil’s expanding green belt, Iraq’s contrasting experiences reveal a broader reality: addressing urban ecology requires not only planting trees but cultivating long-term environmental vision.