Geography of Iraq - Environmental Concerns

Environmental Concerns

Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms, floods

Environment - current issues: government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Shi'a Muslims, who have inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; and desertification.

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Major ecoregions:
  • Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands (PA1303)
  • Mesopotamian shrub desert (PA1320)
Minor ecoregions:
  • Zagros Mountains forest steppe (PA0446)
  • Middle East steppe (PA0812)
  • Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous broadleaf forests (PA1207)
  • South Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert (PA1328)
  • Tigris-Euphrates alluvial salt marsh (PA0906)
  • Red Sea Nubo-Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert (PA1325)
  • Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert (PA1323)

Read more about this topic:  Geography Of Iraq

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