Baghdad Records World’s Worst Air Quality amid Warnings over Government Inaction

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Baghdad has ranked among the most polluting cities in the world for the past two days, according to international air quality measurements, prompting renewed concerns over environmental mismanagement in Iraq’s capital.

Data from the Air Quality Index (AQI) website places Baghdad as the 153rd most polluted city globally, trailing only Delhi and Dhaka. Meteorologist Iqbal Latif told Kurdistan24 that this is the result of the government's longstanding failure to address worsening environmental conditions.

Latif said the capital’s pollution levels have reached “suffocating” levels due to a combination of factors, including the lack of safety measures at oil refineries, minimal urban greenery, the absence of green belts, and the overwhelming number of vehicles on the roads.

“The emissions from oil refineries are so high that they settle on people’s clothes and even on animal skins,” he warned, noting an increase in health complications, including skin and eye cancers in animals.

He also accused the federal government of failing to uphold environmental regulations, alleging that “every factory in Baghdad and its surroundings belongs to a political party and operates without any legal procedures or standards.”

In contrast, Latif commended the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) efforts to improve environmental conditions, highlighting its 24-hour electricity project as a model of responsible governance. The initiative—part of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s Runaki program announced in October 2024—aims to provide uninterrupted electricity to all homes and businesses in the Kurdistan Region by the end of 2026.

Latif said the KRG’s progress stands in stark contrast to Baghdad, where the federal government has not established even minimal environmental monitoring. He noted the absence of a regulatory body to oversee factory operations or enforce health and safety standards.

Given the severity of the pollution, Latif urged the federal authorities to declare a state of emergency in line with World Health Organization guidelines. “Baghdad’s air pollution is unfit for life,” he said. “However, we have little hope for reform, as the government struggles to implement even the most basic measures.”

The mounting environmental concerns add to the challenges facing millions of residents in Baghdad as air quality continues to deteriorate with no immediate solutions in sight.