|
Abstract
The Twentieth Century has witnessed
critical changes in the general Ecological system as reflected in
the rapid deterioration of all its components (water and
agricultural resources, bio-diversity, trees and plantation
coverage, increasing desertification, dissemination of toxins,
spread of mal- nutrition diseases,and lack of services and other
components). The results of such phenomena are materialized on the
social level in the form of emigration, unemployment, poverty,
deformed demographic structure (between city and country) and the
deterioration of life quality. Increase of acts of violence (with
its different forms) since more than four decades is the most
destructive phenomenon to environment (natural and social
environment). All these phenomena are reflected in the decline of
indicators of ecological sustainable development in Iraq. These
indicators represent the lowest levels. The paper discusses the
mutual relation between ecological deterioration and fall in
development indicators.
Thus, preserving environment requires a strategic option that
depends on sustainable development in conditions that enjoy peace
and social conciliation for a secured future and the right of the
coming generations to living and progress in an environment free of
pollution.
Ecological And Geographical Characteristics Of The Structure Of
Iraqi Environment.
The Iraqi environment is an objective
phenomenon and a result of a series of geological, climatic, and
natural changes that occurred millions of years ago. The main
components of Iraqi environment can be represented as follows:
1- The region of the two Iraqi rivers
basin valley, has passed through two geological and climatic stages
during its origin. The geological factors (according to the theory
of continental geological movements) started from about 25 million
years ago when the region of the Arab Island separated from the
African continent. It took the shape of an armor moving towards the
Iranian one, leaving behind a fracturing rift to its West, which
later became the Red Sea. As to the west and the northeast, the
basin valley collided with Iran's armor and slid beneath it. During
this collision and sliding process, unevenness of the terrain
occurred forming Zaghrous and Toros mountains upwards, and a lowland
downwards passing by the Arabian Gulf to the northwest direction and
Baghdad.
2- With the passage of time, many changes and fluctuations occurred
as the dropping of the sea level. Moreover, climatic and hydraulic
changes overlapped with the accumulation of natural factors as land
degradation and the sweeping away of huge quantities of rocks, sand,
and mud to the northern part of that lowland. All such factors lead
to filling that lowland up with earth and the emergence of
sedimentary level land in Iraq. These changes resulted in two
different neighbouring areas at the same time. The first, a low land
split by the two rivers: Tigris and Euphrates and other river
branches, the second, a highland to the west.
3- The two existing rivers: Tigris and Euphrates that are present
since the quadrate age, that is to say from 3 million years,
constitute the most significant environmental components in Iraq.
With the view of the relative diversity in rainfall and temperature,
this led to climates relatively different for basic plants like palm
trees, herbs, sugar cane, and papyrus in the middle and the south
opposite to the plants of the Mediterranean area and regions of
moderate climate in the North.
4- In view of the food abundance, such environments, at the
beginning, attracted wild and aquatic animals as well as birds
forming an adequate environment for Man after that. With the passage
of time, due to life changing conditions, the human groupings had to
cooperate together in distributing work in such closed environments
at the rhythm of the rivers, lakes, semi dry areas, or hills. Such
groupings formed a social economic life pattern based on the unity
of the family and individuals, solidarity and using a special
language of their own.
5- According to such characteristics, Iraq has three local
environmental systems that are the Northern, the middle and the
Southern parts that lie within the general environmental framework.
(1)
Current Features Of Iraqi Environment
The environmental sustainability rests
on 21 basic indicators that can be grouped in five main axes. Such
axes include all the components of the ecosystem: the efficiency of
natural resources, levels of air pollution and the share of emitting
gases per capita, management of water resources, effective methods
for upgrading the social and economic levels to improve environment
in general as well as human life. Other components are involvement
in civil society and international conventions on environment (2).
Yet despite the importance and
validity of international division on the local level, there are
some indicators that enjoy a distinguishing specificity in Iraq and
are focused in the following pivots:
Current features of Iraqi environment
1- Deterioration of Natural resources
2- Population Growth
3- political and social instability
4- Poor services and low levels of human development.
- Pollution of environment
- Climatic changes.
Deterioration Of Natural Resources
It seems that natural resources are
the first and main victim of ecological deterioration. Such
deterioration is represented in the decline in the absorption
ability of the ecosystem.
The twentieth century especially its
second half witnessed deterioration of all components of natural
resources. Natural resources and water surfaces have decreased to
the half approximately. Water resources have significant importance
to the climatic, geographical, economic and historic features of
Iraq. Water is the main nerve of life to all components of local
ecosystem. Moreover, water resources represent the umbrella under
which all natural, social, and geographical features of Iraq are
gathered. Hence, preservation of water resources from pollution
(including shortage in resources) constitutes one of the major
pillars of any strategic view of the present and future Iraq.
Along the old history of Iraq and till
the last century, Agriculture has constituted the main source of
national income as well as the percentage and components of
employing the workforce. But today, agriculture comes in the third
place after oil and customs. The weak infrastructure, deteriorating
bio diversity and the increase of pollution levels resulted in the
continuous decrease of productive agriculture lands. The fluctuating
and weak performance (of agricultural sector) lead to its weak
contribution in the public income and providing food security year
after the other. Moreover, the weak economic performance, poor
services and quality of life in the countryside caused the
increasing migration from the countryside to the city, that resulted
in distortion in demographic structure as well as the imbalance
between the city and the countryside and the role of each in
achieving development. From a decade ago, the invoice of importing
food products exceeded 1 billion dollars annually. Moreover, it is
expected to increase to reach 3.5 billion dollars annually by the
end of the present decade. In the importing outcome, agricultural
land percentage has declined from about 20% at the beginning of the
past decade to reach less than 12% in the recent time (3).
The Forest areas were representing 4%
of the total areas till 1948. Yet today they nearly disappeared from
the map. The pastures that used to feed around 70% of the animal
wealth decreased to be provided only 10-25% of food requirements of
animal wealth. Iraq lost more than 1/3 of its bio-diversity and more
than 60% of its wealth of palm trees in addition to the
deterioration of its quality. Palm tree numbers reached 32 million
till the end of sixties, yet declined to reach 24 million trees in
the seventies and 13 million nowadays. That decline in natural
resources led to the absence and loss of many kinds of birds, wild
animals and fish resources. Consequently, leading to the imbalance
in biodiversity (4). The loss of such resources took the shape of
dramatic changes that were reflected on job opportunities, means of
living and distortion of development images that tended towards the
oil sector. Such distortion of social and economic structure is one
of the aspects that lead to instability - Table (1) reflects the
changes in Natural resources.
Table (1)
Some Of The Changes In Natural
Resources During 20th Century In Iraq
| Water
Surfaces |
Declined in the end of the
20th century to 50% |
| Arable
lands
|
Declined from 20% of
geographical area to 12% |
| Pastures
|
Used to provide 70% of animal
food requirements and now represent from 10 to 25% |
| Forests |
Used to represent 4% of
geographical area, now represent 0.2% |
| Palm trees
|
Declined by 60% |
The lesson learned from this image is that preserving diversity of
nature and the good quality of its hidden resources is of paramount
importance not for food security only but for sustainable
development as well. Finland's experience (for instance) proves that
it gains from forest resources and manufacturing the wood only
(without inflicting any harm to the area or the quality of forests)
equals to what Iraq's gains from all its full resources.
Population Growth Pressure:
The population of Iraq increased
during the second half of the 20th century with high levels from 4.6
million according to 1947 census (5) to nearly 27 million in 2005.
Population growth has increased more than five times during a period
less than six decades. The demographic structure of population
changed as well. The population percentage in cities during the last
century was representing 35% of population and represents more than
75% at the beginning of the present century. The Iraqi society is a
youthful one as about half of its population are less than 18 years
old. Rates of population growth vary during the century according to
stability and development. Such rates were high during the sixties
and seventies. However, they declined during the eighties and
nineties and till now. The census survey of the Ministry of Planning
and Development cooperation shows the low rate of population growth
accompanied the Iraqi- Iranian war to reach 4% remained for the
period from 1999 to 2003. The low rates of population growth are due
to the high mortality rates of children below five years old which
reached 40 for each thousand, as well as the spread of mal-
nutrition diseases. Quarter of Iraqi children suffer from mal-
nutrition (6) due to the deteriorated conditions in Iraq during the
eighties and nineties.
The growth in Population in high
percentages means an increasing demand on consumer goods and
services provision for new inhabitants. That requires producing an
annual increase in investments in domestic income equal to no less
than 4% to meet the service requirement of new inhabitants. Such
kind of investment does not achieve an improvement of living
conditions, it only provides the minimum standards of population
requirements. This problem reflects to some extent the challenge to
face future worries in order to bridge the gab between what is
available for consumption and the local product. However high rates
of population growth if accompanied by spontaneity and weak
organization, they usually result in social, serviceable, and
political crises, as well as lack of stability and security. The
population pressure in Iraq is represented in the following aspects:
1- Increase in youth unemployment due
to the retreat of opportunities of development in the past decades.
2- Increase in demand on food products and services (Health care,
education, potable water, municipal services, etc) corresponding to
the available weak local potentials
3- Expansion in construction and building cities on agricultural
lands and fields.
4- Decrease in the per capita share of natural resources, and the
increasing competition and conflict over resources.
Natural resources deterioration during economic crises, the increase
of unemployment rates and poverty open the door to strong
competition over such resources. Lessons learned from the experience
of countries lacking stability and suffering from civil war (like
Sudan - Sera lion- Congo- Rwanda...) show that the main reasons that
trigger ethnic and racial conflicts result from the strong
competition over limited natural resources as a result of population
pressure. Thus, the conditions for preserving and developing natural
resources , enabling inhabitants to protect such resources as well
as, decreasing the rates of population growth is the best means to
attain social and economic security and stability.
Violence, Instability And Threats To Environment.
Iraq has experienced increasing
violence in its different forms. long wars and its destructive level
along the last four decades of the 20th century were a clear aspect
of violence. Since the end of the year 1961 and till today, Iraq
lives in war (internal and external). Thus violence and its culture
has become a threat to development and environment. Figures prove
the increasing pace of daily violence in public life as well as the
spread and variety of forms of war, militias and gangs that practice
violence, rape and terrorize people during the post period of the
fall of the previous regime. Violence has resulted in indicators of
which are:
- Increase of civilian and military
victims
- High expenditures on the economic level and development in general
- Dissemination of violence culture to different generations in
society.
- Destruction of infrastructure of services in general and in cities
in particular.
- Erosion of Natural resources due to movement of military
machinery.
- Migration inside and outside the country and the spread of a state
of instability and social tension
- Explosion of oil pumps and fires in chemical installations.
- The daily explosions of ammunition
Such incidents resulted in grave outcomes on the physical and moral
levels of civilian inhabitants. In addition to the outcomes of
previous wars (mines- depleted Uranium deposits- unexploded bombs).
we can imagine the level of environmental deterioration (7).
Moreover, military actions consume financial resources and
requirements allocated to improve social living standards.
Meanwhile, the poor pay for such actions as we find the youth
competing to dismantle destroyed military machinery contaminated
with depleted Uranium as a source of living. The military basis as
well is a source of pollution. The American military basis in
Bortereco for instance caused the increase of infection with cancer
by 26% more than the normal rates due to the effect of the resulting
pollution from it on near local inhabitants. It is well known that
military forces, especially at times of crises, do not abide by the
rule of law and environmental norms. Under the umbrella of national
security, military forces cause unlimited pollution of water, air
and labour protection systems, agricultural lands, water network
systems, electrical and communication wires. This is in addition to
the compression of land due to the movement of heavy military
machinery that exceeds 50 Tons. America military basis alone leave
behind 5 tons daily of plastic materials besides fuel and machinery
residues and other hazardous remains in an atmosphere where
environmental conventions do not cover the combating armies(8).
Violence with all its different forms
dreadfully reaps the lives of many civilian victims. Military
actions victims range between 23 - 27 thousands, the injured between
100- 120 thousands and that 223 thousands Iraqis suffer from
diseases due to war. The number of war victims exceeded 6 Thousand
soldier and policemen, the killed and detainees from terrorists
range from 40 to 50 Thousands. Terrorist actions increased since
2003 nine times according to the Pentagon (9). The American forces
in Iraq consume 1/4 million bullets to kill one terrorist (10). The
conflicts indirectly increased the mortality rates of children
through epidemics and mal- nutrition and poor services in general.
More than 5% of families suffered damage from last war, their houses
were destroyed due to violence, and the percentage is in increasing
especially in the west region. As for security, 34% of urban
families lack the sense of security (11).
The patterns of tension and conflicts
continue in which many unacceptable prohibited methods even to war
traditions were used. Certain internationally prohibited weapons
were used like the cluster bombs which cause splinters to spread
over wider areas penetrating human bodies causing the death of 30%
of the injured even if they were of good health conditions (12). As
for the depleted Uranium, it is a radiating weapon whose dust cloud
leaves poisonous materials that cause cancer when it inhaled
especially lung cancer. In the ongoing war, the number of children
and aged people who were disabled exceeds the number from previous
wars. The percentage of injured with permanent disability of the
total population (without the soldiers) especially from women,
children below nine and the aged in the present war exceeds that
percentage from the First Gulf war whose percentage was higher than
the Iraqi- Iranian war (13).
Deterioration of Services And Human Development
In general, basic services suffer from
deteriortion in quality, like clean potable water, sewage networks,
electricity, health, education, security, cleanness of cities and
municipalities which are the basic elements of daily life. Moreover
many requirements of human development like the right to obtain
food, work and other rights are facing critical conditions.
Services of potable water and its
deteriortion are a major concern of all Iraqi population. Clean
potable water (its quality and quantity) is one of human development
standards and a proof of the quality of life. Poor quality of
potable water cause the spread of various diseases resulting from
contaminated water and the inefficiency of municipals' potentials
and Baghdad secretariat to secure reasonable limits of potable water
especially during summer. The estimates of UNDP report show that the
percentage of population that obtains safe potable water does not
exceed 30% of the total population, which is a very high percentage
(as per table 2)
Table (2)
Percentages Of Possibilities Of Access To Potable Water
|
Country
|
Urban Areas |
Rural Areas |
|
Jordan
|
100
|
83 |
|
Lebanon
|
100
|
100 |
|
Iraq |
60
|
33 (acc. To the survey)
|
90 according to UNDP
Source: Ministry of Planning and Development cooperation (2205)
A survey of living conditions in Iraq
2004 - Analytic report - in collaboration with UNDP
Contaminated water is a main reason
for the spread of Diarrhea in general as well as 63%of Diarrhea
infection in children. Civil life face serious obstacles especially
in securing adequate health conditions, in addition to lack of
services and electricity. Food shortage is another problem that
addresses vulnerable segments of society. In fact it is a problem
with a strategic dimension especially that 1/4 of Iraqi children
(below the age of five) had mal- nutrition diseases. On the health
sector level, the report indicates that the percentage of the spread
of chronic diseases in Iraq is 8%. It is noted that respiratory
system inflammation is the most prominent disease (14), in addition
to the high percentage of children vulnerable to death and infection
of different diseases. Poor drainage systems are another source of
environmental pollution especially in big cities (15).
Poverty is another obstacle before
human development in Iraq. It is an economic, social and
environmental issue. However, poverty is not an ideological issue.
The poor person is the outcome of the scarcity of available
resources either capital resources or property (agricultural lands
or experiences) that can be introduced to market for a material
equivalent required for the daily requirements. Environmental
resources (Agricultural land, animal wealth, water resources and
production elements) play a vital role to keep the strategies of
human development and combat poverty. Yet, the environmental
disasters (drought- earthquakes- epidemics) or loss of job
opportunities play a major role in spreading poverty. The poor are
the first victims of land degradation and deterioration of natural
resources (16). Most of Iraq rural migration in the 20th century is
due to land Erosion and deterioration of natural resources. Land
Erosion of high expenses for the poor, the matter that causes the
loss of the actual value of land productivity and infertility,
especially under the primitive production methods and use of
unskillful workers. The greater poverty appears in the inability to
meet the moral and physical requirements, scarcity of resources and
energy in a country that produces energy. Such poor conditions might
create by the end conditions liable to explode at any moment in a
country where the national rate of poverty reaches approximately
28%. Thus the poor are in need of funds (an association or an
official or personal party) as well as social security or natural
resource (17).
Women face hard social and economic
conditions. Women participation represents 13% of total workforce.
Such percentage refers to the doubled women participation in work as
compared to its percentage of population. Participation of women in
work can be distributed as follows: 32% in agriculture, 36% in
financial mediation, 59% in education, and 32% in health sector.
About 10% of families suffer from population crowdedness. The
influence of such indicators on human status led to the decline of
Iraq in the human development manual from the 20th position in 1990
to 126th position in 2000 (8). As for the administrative and
financial corruption, it is a hazardous pest against development.
Certainly, corruption hinders sustainable development where mistrust
prevails as well as the abuse of power and authority against the
rule of law. Iraq's position for integrity and transparency
indicators decline from 130 to 146 in the world.
Many questions are raised on the
recent characteristics of development in Iraq, is it an agricultural
or industrial or serviceability country? the facts of more than the
past half-century show the failure of agricultural development to
secure the requirements of society from foodstuff. We could not
benefit from agricultural revolutions in many developing countries
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America during the Second half of the
20th century. Industrial development including oil industries
declined . Services, in general (municipal, health and information),
were characterized by backwardness in comparison to Iraq
neighbouring countries. The previously mentioned elements increased
expenditures on importing basic products. The matter reached the
extent to import potable water in agricultural products' formula. An
international expert shows that the production of 1 ton of wheat
requires 1000m3 of water. If we consider that Iraq imports about 3
million tons of grains (wheat- rice...), that means that it imports
at least 3 million m3 of water annually in the form of imported
grains.
When focusing on the characteristics
of production and services, we find that Iraq (regardless its
abundant natural, and mineral resources and technical professionals)
does not have the precise features of industrial or agricultural
production or even the description of serviceable country as widely
known on the Middle East Level.
International reports on sustainable
development indicators in Iraq show that the country have a very low
position among the world countries (146 countries) besides North
Korea and Uzbekistan.
Table 3
Iraq's Position According To
Sustainable Development Index
Countries of high level environmental sustainability
|
Country
|
Income per capita (Dollar)
|
Age after Birth (year)
|
Position
|
|
Finland |
32.830 |
77.9 |
1 |
|
Germany |
32.800 |
79.1 |
31 |
|
Denmark |
39.720 |
78.0 |
26 |
Countries of low level environmental sustainability
|
Country
|
Income per capita (Dollar)
|
Age after Birth (year)
|
Position
|
|
Yemen |
330 |
59.8
|
137 |
|
Sudan
|
350 |
55.5 |
140 |
|
Iraq
|
1500 |
61.0 |
143 |
Source: Environmental Sustainability
Index (2005)
Ecosystem Pollution
Sources of Ecosystem pollution vary
between biological, chemical, chaotic and noises that pollute air,
water, soil and affect climatic factors. Backwardness and poor
services and lack of awareness are all elements that lead to
deterioration. Decades ago, man used to drink water from rivers and
springs without fear. But today the image has changed. The direct
usage of river water is now a main source of diarrhea and Typhoid
infection to children and other vulnerable segments. Chemical
pollution as well spread on wider limits that make it difficult to
predict its hazards. Industrial and heavy metals disposals (mainly
lead, iron, manganese, mercury, uranium) and other chemical
compounds that man use in industry, agriculture etc.. are another
source of thousands polluted spots. All polluted sites are
industrial sites (20). The previous regime left a military arsenal
and huge amounts of ammunitions and explosive materials that range
between 600 thousands and 1 million ton of TNT. Studies estimate
that between 80 to 90 % of cancer diseases are the outcome of
environmental pollution in the world.
Pollution of air in the cities is a
major problem especially that respiratory system diseases are
connected to air pollution. Sources of air pollution vary between
industrial (oil industries), serviceable (producing electricity),
constructional (cement), cars and machines mostly from last
generations that used fuel-containing lead. If Adding to this
wastes, drainage and fire remains which all are dangerous sources
for air pollution. Follow up actions for environment circles in
Baghdad for instance shows the high levels of carbon dioxide and
sulphur dioxide gases as well as lead and solid elements in air that
most of the time reach double the international rates (22)
Pollution with hydrocarbon compounds
especially those resulting from oil industries, in addition to oil
spills, destruction of oil installations and fires are also another
terrifying source of air, water, and land pollution. Oil
installations witness acts of destruction (environmental terrorism)
which as well deepens the severe crises of environmental pollution.
The number of attacks that targeted oil pumps leading to oil spills
and causing fires reached 244 cases from March 2003 till June 2005.
Other cities and living quarters like Basra, Karkouk and Durah
suffer from severe hazards due to high levels of pollution. Remains
of construction materials and military machinery are spread all over
the streets and cities that lead to pollution of the environment. "Aweireg"
compound in Baghdad is one of the main compounds that contains 2000
destroyed tanks, 6000 machine and canons from the last war (23)
Iraqi territories, especially along
the boarders, are full of mines (for humans and machines). The
number of mines is estimated to be about 20 million killing a huge
number of inhabitants of rural areas as well as shrinking the
opportunities of benefiting from animal wealth and agricultural
resources. However, efforts exerted to control such mines are still
modest when compared to such heavy problem.
Sources of surface water depend
largely on neighbouring countries (Turkey- Iran- Syria). Mostly, the
incoming water is already contaminated before even reaching the
Iraqi boarders due to the flow of water recovered from agriculture
activities in countries that overlook Tigris and Euphrates. Such
water usually carries chemical and organic pollutants. Turkey for
example uses 1,743 million tons of chemical compounds most of which
is used in the agriculture activities in East Anatolia Project. As
for Syria, it uses 322 thousand tons of chemical compounds while
Iraq uses 638 thousand tons. (24). Turkish and Syrian cities
overlooking the mo0uths of common rivers dump huge amounts of
drainage water as well as agricultural and industrial wastes. Added
to this half million ton of drainage water wastes of Iraqi cities
and billions of cubic meters of recovered water from local
agriculture saturated with minerals, chemical and organic compounds
that flows to running rivers. Now one can imagine the huge amounts
of pollutants that rivers carry.
Water surfaces have turned to be a
basin in which industrial and agricultural wastes are dumped. A
matter which negatively impacted environment not only the beautiful
feature of rivers, lakes and coasts, nor destroying the biodiversity
and fish resources, but also it caused the spread of various
diseases resulting from contaminated water and the expensive costs
of purification of water. This is similarly applied to levels of
pollution at Shat El Arab and the northern Gulf. In the gulf, about
280 ships and boats sank in its water, some of which since the First
Gulf War on which board are crude oil and chemical materials supply
whose polluting impact extends to cover the whole surface though in
different levels.
In general, absence of monitoring
especially on the internal level, in addition to absence of
monitoring the imported elements (including foodstuff) and lack of
health security systems at workplaces and in public life, all are
indicators that highlight the main sources of environmental
pollution in Iraq. The above mentioned are as well supported by lack
of environmental awareness, poverty and poor environmental
institutional systems.
Climatic Changes:
The current climate is an extension of
the last ice age which the region witnessed from about 5000 years
B.C. (25). However, high temperature, low humidity and rare rains
characterize long summer season. Tigris and Euphrates' basins are of
diminishing water resources with increasing strong wind especially
sandy and dusty winds for long periods of time. Some of such winds
cause storms especially with the low levels of water and plant
coverage that play the role of biological filter for wind (26).
Damage on biological and human lives due to climatic changes can be
estimated. Climate with no doubt is the most factor affecting social
and economic live, as well as the environment in general (27).
Costs Of Environmental Deterioration In Iraq
Environmental sciences have developed
to include branches for assessing the consequences and costs of
environmental deterioration. Environment and natural resources
economics are now being used in addition to sciences of hygiene,
epidemics, economics and others. The methodology supposed to be used
in assessing the costs of deterioration depends on a large group of
data and givens on the quality of air, potable water, rivers, lakes
and other water surface, in addition to soil pollution, erosion and
atmosphere. Impacts of deterioration and environmental pollution are
assessed depending on the effect they impose on health, death rates
and disabilities resulting from pollution. Changes in natural
resources, water surfaces, desertification, biodiversity, and losses
of agricultural economics are also calculated. However, such
branches of sciences are rarely applied in Iraq.
Costs for urgently clean- up of the
Iraqi environment is estimated by 18 billion dollars where services
are not included according to UNEP report. If we adopt the study
done by the World bank and UNEP on costs of pollution in Egypt, we
find that the costs of environmental degradation for 1999 was
estimated by 4,3 billion dollars with a total average of 4.8 of GNP.
After five years, the Egyptian studies proved that the costs of
pollution exceeded 9.6 billion dollars in 2004. In other words,
costs have increased by 123% during (1999- 2004) with an annual rate
of 25% and such increases are the highest growth rates in economic
fields where 2/3 of total costs are allocated for hazards of
pollution on health, while the remaining third for natural resources
degradation.
UNEP studies prove that there are some
hundred "hot spots" in Iraq in addition to some thousand
contaminated sites due to industrial and military activities as well
as violence in its different forms. The costs of cleaning up 20
contaminated sites requires 2 million dollars, moreover, oil
industry department requires more than 10 million dollars for
contaminated sites in it. Collecting the scrap metal of destroyed
military machinery costs a few million dollars. In addition, the
costs of establishing utility for treating wastes are about 22
million dollars. Yet it is not easy to estimate the total costs of
environmental degradation. As for natural resources deterioration,
studies are still limited. Soil degradation represented in erosion,
desertification and high salinity levels in large Iraqi agricultural
lands are estimated to be of high costs. More than half of the
agricultural lands suffer from varying levels of erosion and
salinity which is equivalent to million of hectares. Costs of
remediation of soil erosion and desertification reach 3 thousand
dollars per hectare, while the cost of adjusting soil salinity is
more than 4 thousand dollars extended to 30 years with a discount
rate 10%. The approximate costs required for collecting wastes is
estimated by 8-10 dollars per Ton. In addition, the cost of damages
due to carbon dioxide emissions is 20 dollars per Ton approximately.
Assessment of environmental
degradation focuses on health by what is known as average age years
to disability and the economic value of the year loss due to disease
or early death represents the year's productivity value that is
assessed by the individual GNP. The results of the practical
assessment of deterioration cannot be totally precise. It is an
approximation depending on the accuracy of provided data and
information. It is also affected by geographic differences.
Assessment methods depend on:
- High rate of deaths, diseases and
disabilities accompanied by lack of clean water, good drainage
system, and sound hygiene habits.
- Levels of air pollution and their impact on health
- Losses resulting from pollution on productive process, soil
erosion and salinity, natural resources and their low productivity.
(29)
Environmental Management In Iraq
The condition of Iraqi environment can
be described as being disastrous during the period before the fall
of the regime. Such phenomena spread over in the post regime period.
In general, environmental institutions in Iraq suffer from:
- Poor infrastructure of environmental
institutions and directorates.
- Inefficiency of monitoring authorities on the national and local
levels.
- Insufficiency of environmental legislation and executive
authorities , and the rule of law.
- Lack of environmental awareness and civil society organizations.
The formation of the Ministry of Environment is a positive step
towards baring the responsibility of monitoring service and
productivity sources confirming the absence of pollutants that harm
Man , natural resources and the ecosystem. Environmental
institutions are supposed to address disasters (natural disasters or
of man- made) and develop plans and programmes to preserve
environment in coordination and collaboration with other ministries
and institutions. Experiences of coordinating with ministries
(during the past regime and also the current experience) show the
limited effectiveness of coordinating authorities (with consultative
feature) and their executive efficiency. The alternative is to work
for advanced levels of coordination between institutions and
official circles with a common strategic feature. Common
coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture (for example) will
have a strategic feature through their interest in green areas,
forests, trees, combating desertification, and other related
problems. Coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources will be
for preserving water , lakes, and other water surfaces from
pollution. The same applied through organizing relations with
Ministries of production and services. This can also be achieved
through common programmes under a direct ministerial supervision.
This requires, on the other hand, developing the institutions of the
Ministry of Environment to play a leading role in the context of
long-term strategic vision for 10-15 years.
The practical method lies in the
Ministry of Environment authorities adopting advanced standards for
detecting pollution levels (air, water, soil, foodstuff pollution)
as well as updating environmental statistics and data. The Ministry
should seek to contact specialized regional and international
institutions to benefit from their experiences and contribute to
environment conventions. The success of the environmental
institutions' role of monitoring requires involving society in a
real process of integration. This means that environment has three
main monitoring institutions effectively overlapping, which are:
- Environment circles in the State's
ministries including the Ministry of Environment play a monitoring
role similar to financial monitoring and public inspectors.
- Civil society organizations that can play a significant role in
monitoring as being a linking circle between society and State's
authorities.
- Local inhabitants and raising environmental awareness as well as
developing the public's role in preserving environment.
An environmental project cannot be
granted success unless the previous three groups contribute in
monitoring it. Thus, the Ministry of Environment is more like
peoples' Ministry similar to the Ministry of Human Rights though its
responsibilities are much more , besides protecting the human being,
it is responsible for preserving the natural resources and climate
from pollution and degradation. Moreover, the Ministry of
Environment is responsible for monitoring foreign corporations
,their commitment to the quality levels and implementation of
contacts through their adherence to international standards
legislation ISO 14001 which is still missing in the local standards.
The main objective of preserving the
environment is to secure adequate conditions to maintain life
components. Preserving environment is concerned with developing
designs and environment development plans. Thus preserving
environment constitutes the steps and procedures that aims at:
- procedures prior to damages
- Treating damages from roots sources.
- Developing humanitarian environment
- Development aware of points of strength and natural resources
The strategic vision of nature depends on urgent and near stages
that are directly connected to life , these are:
- Providing a safe environment, shunning from violence with all its
forms as it is the hosting factor to all hinders of development.
- Securing clean potable water free from sources of contamination ,
in addition to the dire need to provide electricity in houses.
- Disposal of house wastes, brackish water, and treating drainage
water in cities and population compounds.
- Conducting a survey for bombs, cannons and mines that threaten the
human lives.
- Conducting a survey for sites in which the disposals of mass
destruction weapons have been buried and which has been a source of
pollution, marking such sites and warn people from their dangers, as
well as seeking to clean- up these sites.
- Raising environmental awareness of the hazards of environmental
pollution .
As for middle and long- term problems , they are related to the
following main issues:
- Mitigating the pressures facing natural resources like soil
erosion, water resources degradation, climatic changes and other
relevant problems
- Comprehensive surveys of sources of air, water, soil, life
components pollution, as well as developing strategies to treat
sources of pollution.
- Deterioration of human life quality (retrogression of basic
services levels, spread of diseases, mortality rates, poverty, ...)
- Enhancing civil society organizations concerned with environment.
- Awareness of international society and contributing to environment
regional and international conventions , as well as benefiting from
the experiences of neighbouring countries and international
organizations.
- Reviewing the educational and cultural programmes and curricula to
introduce the environmental aspect for raising awareness.
-----
*Expert on Environment and Development Former under- secretary -
Minister of Environment - Baghdad
Sources:
(1) Ali Hnoush (2000)- The Iraqi Environment - The Present Problems
and Future choices- Dar El Knouz Al Adabiah- Beirut
(2) World Economic Forum. (2005) Environmental Sustainability Index.
Benchmarking National Environment Stewardship. Geneva
(3) Ali Hnoush (2002) Agricultural Development in Iraq- The Present
Problems and Future choices- from the book "Studies in Iraqi
Economy"- Iraqi Economic Forum. London , Elrafed association-first
edtition.
(4) Ali Hnoush (2004) The Iraqi Environment - The problems and
Horizons- The Ministry of Environment - Baghdad
(5) Iraq- Ministry of Social Affairs- Iraq Census 1947 Baghdad 1954.
Quoted from Hana Batato "Iraq"- Part one- second edition- Beirut
(6) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(7) Medact, (2003) Continuing collateral damage , the health and
environmental costs of war of Iraq war, www.medact.org
(8) Simon Doolitte (2002) Ten Reasons Why Militarism is Bad for the
Environment . Environmentalist Against War.
(9) Paul Rogers (2005) Iraq in the Wider Perspective. Oxford
Research Group. Oct.
(10) Iraq War Costs Now Exceed Vietnams, Jim Lobe, Sept. 2005, Anti-war.com
(11) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(12) Husum, H. Gilbert, M and Wisbolg.T (2000) save Live, Save
Limbs: Life support for victims of Mines, Wars and Accidents
(13) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(14) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(15) Metcalf and Eddy (1991) Wastewater Engineering: Treatment,
Disposal and Reuse, 3rd Ed., Metcalf and Eddy, Inc, McGraw- Hill
(16) Kirit S. Parikh (1998) Poverty and Environment. Turning the
Poor into Agents of Environmental Regeneration.
(17) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(18) Ministry of Planning and Developmental cooperation (2005) A
survey of living conditions in Iraq- UNEP- Analytic Report.
(19) Globel Corruption Report 2005. http://transparencyy.org/index.html
(20) UNEP (2005) Assessment of Environmental "Hot Spots" in Iraq.
www.unep.org
(21) Corp Watch, 2005: Iraq munitions disposals. www.
Cropwatch.org.article.php
(22) Ali Hnoush (2004) The Iraqi Environment - The problems and
Horizons- The Ministry of Environment - Baghdad
(23) UNEP (2005) Assessment of Environmental "Hot Spots" in Iraq.
www.unep.org
(24) FAO (2005) Near East in Asia, Fertilization consumption. www.
Faostat.fao.org
(25) William C. Brice (1978) The Environmental History of the Near
and Middle East since the Last Ice Age. Academic Press. London
(26) Clemens Sc. (1998) Dust Response to seasonal atmospheric
forcing: Proxy Evaluation and Calibration. Pale oceanography, Vol.
13, No. 5, pp 471- 490
(27) Ali Hnoush (2001) Social and Economic Dimensions produced by
Climatic changes in the Middle East Region (Iraq as a model).
Development and Socio- Economic Progress no. 79, pp. 13-22 Cairo,
Egypt
(28) World Bank (2002) Cost Assessment of Environmental Degradation.
Arab Republic of Egypt, sector note, June 2002
(29) World Bank (2002) Cost Assessment of Environmental Degradation.
Arab Republic of Egypt, sector note, June 2002
|
