KRG Council of Ministers meeting to discuss bill on protecting the environment

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is set to discuss a bill on protecting the environment in its Council of Ministers meeting on Sunday, according to a statement. 

Chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the meeting coincides with World Environment Day 2022, an annual day marked every June 5 to spread awareness about the environment and promote its protection. 

The ministers also plan to talk about a bill on protecting the environment entitled ‘First Amendment of the Law of Environmental Protection and Improvement’, the statement added. 

The Kurdistan Parliament recently passed a law on the management and protection of water resources in a bid to cope with water scarcity experienced in some parts of the region, particularly during the summer season.

The meeting will also discuss the tourism sector in the Kurdistan Region, according to the agenda released by the government. 

Prime Minister Barzani will brief the ministers about his recent visit to Davos, Switzerland, in late May, where he participated in the World Economic Forum and had numerous bilateral meetings with various leaders and officials throughout the five-day event.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is ‘#OnlyOneEarth’, which highlights the vulnerability of the planet to various climate challenges, including global warming, pollution, and habitat destruction. World Environment Day was first established in 1972 by the United Nations.

The Kurdistan Region has also created special environment days for each of its provinces to help foster awareness of the environment and the threats facing it. 

The Kurdistan Region’s Environment Day is celebrated on April 16. 

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have recently experienced severe drought, and an increasing number of dust storms believed to result from climate change. The country has endured nine dust storms since last month alone.