ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The first phase of a major green belt project has been launched in Erbil, which includes the planting of millions of trees and the construction of artificial ponds, a local official said on Monday, in an effort to combat air pollution and climate change. “Erbil’s Green Belt Project has started around the 150-meter road. In the first phase, pistachio and olive trees will be planted … and more than ten artificial ponds will be created to irrigate the trees,” Sarwar Waysi, head of Erbil’s parks engineering department, told Rudaw. Over seven million trees will be planted in the project’s initial phase, according to Waisi. The project is being carried out in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Kurdistan Region’s municipalities and tourism ministry. “We want to protect Erbil from dust storms and reduce their impact, and we also want to protect agricultural lands so they won’t be turned into investment projects,” Waisi explained, adding that the project will also create job opportunities for the city’s young people. The efforts come as Erbil struggles with one of the highest levels of air pollution in Iraq, driven by smoke from power generators, heavy car emissions using low-quality fuel, and frequent dust storms. Iraq is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with poor water resource management and dam construction in neighboring countries contributing to dwindling river flows.
