In the insightful article, Farhad Mamshai delves into the critical environmental challenges facing the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The mountainous regions, often referred to as the ‘lungs’ of the region, have historically provided not only ecological benefits but also served as cultural and political symbols for the Kurdish people. Farhad Mamshai highlights the severe environmental degradation occurring due to deforestation, forest fires, and opportunistic investment policies. Through this article, Farhad Mamshai aims to shed light on the urgent need for sustainable environmental policies and stronger regulatory frameworks to protect KRI’s invaluable natural resources.
The mountains in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) are often regarded as the Kurds’ closest friends. These mountains hold not only political and military importance but also significant environmental value. Known as the ‘lungs’ due to their lush greenery and trees, they provide clean air for the cities. Specifically, the Goezha and Azmar mountains in Sulaimani are referred to as the ‘city’s lungs’ because they serve as essential environmental areas, offering clean air, tourism, and recreation for residents. However, in recent years, the forests in Kurdistan’s mountains have faced severe environmental destruction, including fires and deforestation. Thousands of acres of ponds, natural forests, farms, and agricultural fields are burned and destroyed annually. Several structural factors contribute to deforestation, forest fires, and environmental degradation in KRI, such as ad-hoc investment policies promoting modern residential construction and armed conflicts involving neighboring countries and opposition groups.
From Green Hills to Grey Concrete: The Environmental Toll of Investment in KRI
Under the pretext of investment, vast areas of land meant for public services have been repurposed for private and commercial gain. In Sulaymaniyah Governorate alone, over 65,000 plots have been redirected for private interests in less than a decade. In one striking example, 182 acres of agricultural land belonging to the Ministry of Education in Sulaymaniyah were handed over to an investment company for residential development without the ministry’s consent.
Similar land grabs have occurred in Duhok, where areas initially earmarked for parks, gardens, schools, and hospitals have been converted for private use. Local mayors have facilitated this process by measuring the lands and assigning plot numbers, though they are unable to provide full title deeds.
Law No. 4 of 2006, the Investment Law of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has significantly contributed to social injustice and allowed political interference in investment projects. This law exempts all investment projects from customs duties for 10 years and grants investors land at little or no cost. While the intent is to reduce rents and provide housing for the poor, most of the 150,000 housing units granted are priced at over $50,000, making them affordable only to the wealthy. These projects are often built on agricultural and mountain lands and hill areas, causing extensive environmental destruction. Consequently, many residents, opposition political parties, and non-partisan investors have called for amendments to the law.
The lands allocated for investment projects are often government-owned areas in the mountains, valleys, and foothills, which are natural forests and pastures. These ‘lungs of Kurdistan’ provide essential oxygen for cities and towns. The conversion of these areas into investment projects and housing units has severely damaged the environment. Companies and investors often destroy pastures and forests by burning and cutting trees and using chemicals to dry them out, usually conducting these activities at night when civil defense units are less vigilant. This also allows perpetrators to avoid public backlash.
Local government sources in Sulaymaniyah reported that a housing project led to the cutting down of thousands of trees, including old ones, in the mountain area. In 2017, several investors burned the Sulaymaniyah Gate-Tasluja forests, an area of 120 acres of pine trees designated for investment projects. Karim Ali from the Sulaymaniyah Provincial Council highlighted that the support from ruling parties and government authorities makes it challenging to halt investor activities, despite reported environmental violations. Projects continue despite warnings, causing significant environmental damage, including forest fires, depletion of water sources, destruction of olive groves, and even the burning of Goizha Mountain . No accountability has been enforced for these violations. While the pine forests were established during the Ba’ath era, they are now being destroyed for commercial purposes. Malko Baziani, secretary of the Kurdistan Green Party (KGP), reported that some pine trees have been treated with oil to expedite their drying out for conversion into car showrooms and other commercial projects. The destruction is significant, with 20 kilometers of pine forests between Sulaymaniyah and Tasluja having been burned, affecting approximately 15,000 to 20,000 pine trees. Baziani also highlighted that in 2020, a similar situation occurred in Duhok, where 300-400 dunums of forests were set ablaze for commercial development and car showroom construction.
Recently, a company has begun constructing residential units on the hills of Goizha Mountain in Sulaymaniyah, sparking significant protests from residents and environmental activists. An environmental expert in the city reported that the project involves cutting and burning trees, leading to a decrease in greenery and an increase in temperatures due to the extensive use of concrete and paving. In early June 2024, 29 environmental organizations and 252 activists launched a campaign against the investment company’s plan to develop Goizha Mountain into housing units. Their primary concerns include the lack of transparency in land allocation for such projects and the environmental destruction of natural forests. The allocated area for the company includes around 10 acres of fig orchards, berry trees, and natural forests now facing severe destruction. Activists have taken to social media to protest the project and have filed a complaint with the public prosecutor in KRI to halt it. Although the land falls under the jurisdiction of the KRG Ministry of Finance according to the Agrarian Reform Law of 1970, the ministry claims to be unaware of the project and does not support it. Despite government approval, the environmental impacts have been largely overlooked, especially considering KRI’s Environmental Law No. 8 of 2008, which emphasizes the importance of environmental protection in investment projects.
Suspected Sabotage Behind KRI’s Worsening Forest Fires
During the summer months, KRI frequently faces severe forest fires that devastate both vegetation and wildlife. In the final week of July 2024, a series of fires erupted across both natural and man-made forests in the region, destroying thousands of acres of forests and pastureland. The fires began on Goizha Mountain, burning nearly 15,000 trees, and subsequently spread to Azmar Mountain, Mawat District, the Sitak District forests in Sulaymaniyah, Chnara and Mirade in Sharazoor, which consumed over 2,000 acres of ponds and 3,000 trees. The Qaladze Forest in the Raparin Administration lost 3,000 trees, and fires were also reported on Nzarke Mountain and Mount Tavarash in Duhok. Additionally, a fire was reported on Zozik Mountain in the Soran district of Erbil Governorate during the same period.
These fires are often linked to various causes, including organized crime and deliberate burning. For example, the fire in Soran district was reportedly detected by the police. Many suspect these fires are not mere accidents, especially considering the extensive damage: between 200 and 300 dunams of pastures and forests were lost on Goizha Mountain and Mount Azmar, with an average of 150 trees per acre destroyed, some of which were around 70 years old. The Nature and Property Protection Organization (NPPO) in Sulaymaniyah is particularly concerned about the suspected causes of these fires and the environmental damage they have inflicted. The fires started early in the morning, around 3:00 a.m., and were exacerbated by a strong windstorm that made it challenging for people to stay in the mountains and hills. Local journalists and environmental activists reported that the 200 dunams burned on Goizha Mountain were intended for an investment project to build five housing units over the past six years. However, due to opposition from the Sulaymaniyah Forestry Department and residents, the project has been suspended. Consequently, environmental organizations, activists, and the public suspect that these forest fires, particularly in the Sulaymaniyah region, may not be purely natural occurrences. They theorize that ruling parties, companies, and investors driven by the desire for residential and commercial development might be behind these incidents.
In July, a massive fire spread across Sulaimani city’s famed Mount Goizha on Monday morning, burning around 200 dunams of land according to early estimates (Source: Rudaw)
In response, environmental organizations, activists, and NPPO in Sulaymaniyah have established a WhatsApp group called “Protect Goizha Mountain – Goizha Bpareza” to share information and coordinate efforts to safeguard Goizha Mountain. They have reported concerning data about environmental damage in KRI, including the fact that 25 percent of the mountain has been allocated to five companies, with plans to extend this to an additional 300 acres. Over the past three years, three investors have uprooted 3,245 pine trees, and statistics suggest that 13,000 pine trees have been deliberately burned. The group also points out the lack of fire management services on Goizha Mountain, highlighting the absence of basic firefighting and irrigation infrastructure. There is no firefighting system or water well on the mountain, and only 10 workers are available for irrigation, tree planting, and fire suppression. Additionally, there are no roads leading to the forests, complicating access for fire trucks in the event of a blaze.
Local government also lacks an effective fire-fighting strategy. While some preliminary measures are taken, such as using air engines to direct the fire, these methods are particularly challenging in mountainous regions. Occasionally, helicopters are used to combat the fires, but their effectiveness is hindered by the scarcity of water sources near the mountains. Firefighters and forest department workers are often limited to using wet blankets or tree branches to control the fires. In some cases, emergency response teams request assistance from citizens with water tanks to help extinguish the blazes.
The Environmental Toll of Military Operations in Kurdistan Iraq
Kurdistan’s mountainous forests have also been destroyed by military operations and bombings carried out by neighboring countries, particularly Turkey and Iran. These countries frequently carry out bombings and military campaigns under the guise of targeting armed Kurdish oppositions and destroying forests, crops, and pastures. According to Marouf Majeed, head of the Future Environmental Protection Organization in KRI, human intervention has led to the destruction of 50 percent of KRI’s forests over the past twenty years, including damage from neighboring countries’ bombings. In 2018, Iran and Turkey launched sustained bombings on the Balakaity and Bradost regions along the Erbil border for a week. This offensive displaced 200 families and incinerated approximately 250 acres of fields, gardens, and forests.
Turkish bombardment of Amedi town of Duhok province on August 7, 2024 (Source: Rudaw)
The Turkish military has also been involved in deforestation. By 2020, Turkey had established 40 military bases in KRI, particularly in Dohuk, leading to further deforestation, road construction, and security measures. The KGP reported that Turkish military operations in the Badinan region of KRI led to nearly three million trees lost until 2022. The Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) also documented environmental damage from Turkish military activities in July of this year, which resulted in the evacuation of nine villages and the burning of around 68,000 acres of agricultural land and natural forests. In the Amede district, Turkish attacks in July burned 40 acres of farmers’ crops and thousands of acres of land and forests, including 150-year-old trees, forcing farmers to evacuate their homes, abandon their lands, and sell their livestock. In just five villages within the district, 80 percent of agricultural land and natural forests were burned.
These military impacts, combined with climate change issues such as rising temperatures and water scarcity, have exacerbated environmental insecurity in KRI. A plant taxonomy expert has noted that the burning of forests on Goizha Mountain could alter the region’s climate and threaten numerous wildlife species, as the forest is home to over 700 plant species. Furthermore, a survey by the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture revealed that KRI has lost 50 percent of its artificial forests and 30 percent of its natural forests over the past 50 years. These factors have contributed to a significant decline in greenery, with the KRG Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources reporting that the greenery percentage in KRI is now only 12%.
Protecting KRI’s mountain forests is crucial for maintaining environmental security, especially in regulating temperatures and ensuring clean air for the region’s cities. This is particularly important given the severe air pollution in Iraq and KRI. Forests also serve as a vital source of livelihood for many people who work in agriculture and livestock at the base of the mountains. The destruction of forests through burning and logging threatens not only the environment but also the food security of many families in rural areas. To safeguard KRI’s environmental security and preserve its forests, it is essential to strengthen the role of government institutions in monitoring investment projects and involving the public prosecutor by filing lawsuits against projects causing significant environmental destruction. Additionally, the KRI Parliament should amend investment laws to require stringent environmental procedures for issuing permits and land for investment projects. Most importantly, the Iraqi government must address military and environmental violations by neighboring countries and compel armed opposition groups to withdraw from border areas.
Farhad Mamshai
Farhad H. A. Mamshai is a PhD candidate in the Planning, Governance and Globalization program at Virginia Tech in Arlington, USA. His dissertation focuses on environmental security and communal conflict in Iraq, particularly within the disputed territories and the Kurdistan Region. Farhad is an editorial board member for the journal "Community Change" at Virginia Tech and serves on the board of the Cemdem Institute, which is dedicated to advancing and empowering democracy in the Middle East and Iraq. He previously worked as editor-in-chief and research fellow at the Kurdistan Conflict and Crisis Research Center (KCCRC). His research interests center on the Middle East politics, with a specific emphasis on environmental security and governance in Iraq and its neighboring countries