US provides a $1 million grant to Iraq’s universities for climate action research 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United States has provided a $1 million grant for a number of climate research efforts conducted by universities in Iraq’s southern provinces.

The so-called “Southern Iraqi Universities’ Initiative” is a research effort between the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research and the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) – a non-governmental organization specializing in global education and development. 

“The US provided $1 million to support the universities of Basrah, Maysan, al-Muthanna, and Dhi Qar with tools to promote #ClimateAction,” US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski tweeted on Wednesday. 

The Iraqi universities are capable of managing sustainable development programs, Minister Nabil Kazem Abdel-Saheb said during a meeting attended by the US diplomat and representatives of the educational NGO. 

The initiative is aimed at the environmental sector as well as renewable energy, the diplomat added, according to the ministry’s statement. 

The initiative will include capacity-building, producing sustainable solutions, and developing the laboratories’ capabilities, Lori Mason of the IREX said.

Iraq’s southern provinces have been particularly affected by the looming effects of climate change, including increased desertification. The renowned marshes in the south have mainly dried up due to reduced water flow due to upstream dam construction by Turkey and Iran. 

Iraq is ranked the fifth most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change.