Shafaq News/In southern Iraq, Dhi Qar (Thi Qar) province, home to more than two millionpeople, is grappling with an escalating environmental crisis. Air and waterpollution have reached critical levels, exacerbated by climate change andsevere water scarcity. The province’s residents bear the brunt of thisenvironmental degradation, with increasingly severe impacts on both publichealth and the local ecosystem.
Sources ofPollution
Dhi Qar’sair pollution stems from a combination of industrial activities, humanpractices, and the region’s oil extraction operations. According to MohsenAziz, Director General of the Environmental Protection and ImprovementDepartment for the southern region, several key sources contribute to thearea’s deteriorating air quality.
“Brick andasphalt plants, along with waste dumps frequently subjected to burning, aresignificant contributors to air contamination,” Aziz explained. Thesefacilities, along with a lack of proper waste management, have become majorpollutants. Dhi Qar has 16 waste disposal sites, but only two meetenvironmental standards: the sanitary landfill sites in Al-Fajr and Qal'atSukkar districts.
Vehicularemissions are another pressing concern, especially in the provincial capital,Al-Nasiriyah, and surrounding areas. The increasing number of vehicles, coupledwith poorly maintained roads, leads to air pollution that worsens during rushhours. Aziz identified “unregulated burning at non-sanitary landfill sites” asthe most critical issue facing Al-Nasiriyah’s air quality.
The region’soil extraction activities also contribute to pollution. Emissions from southernIraq’s vast oil fields, particularly those associated with companies such asBP, ENI, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell, continue to be a major environmentalconcern. International organizations have revealed that these companies fail toreport millions of tons of emissions from natural gas flaring, the practice ofburning off excess gas during oil extraction. Despite promises to end flaringby 2030, or 2025 in the case of Shell, responsibility for disclosing emissionsoften lies with subcontractors, which complicates efforts for accountability.
PollutionHotspots
Pollution inDhi Qar is concentrated in specific districts and towns, with industrialfacilities and improperly managed landfills significantly contributing toenvironmental degradation. A source familiar with the issue revealed that areaslike Al-Nasiriyah, Al-Islah, Sayyid Dakhil, Suq al-Shuyoukh, and Al-Rifai arethe most heavily affected. These areas house brick plants, asphalt factories,oil companies, and refineries, many of which operate without properenvironmental approvals or in violation of local regulations.
The scale ofpollution in these areas is particularly concerning due to the presence ofcarcinogenic dioxins, which are released during the burning of waste. Thesepollutants pose a major threat to public health, especially to those withpreexisting respiratory conditions.
“Ouranalyses indicate that areas like Al-Shamoukh, the industrial housing district,and locations near the Seyyid Khudair shrine are the most impacted,” the sourceadded. “These areas are heavily affected by the burning of municipal waste, whichis often conducted near the provincial center.”
Oil-burningpractices at unregulated oil fields further exacerbate the pollution crisis,especially in the northern district of Al-Rifai. The practice not onlycontributes to air contamination but is linked to an increase in cancer-relatedillnesses among the population.
HealthImplications
Theenvironmental pollution in Dhi Qar is having a severe impact on public health.Haidar Hantoush, a specialist at the Ministry of Health, explained thatexposure to these pollutants is contributing to respiratory sensitivity,weakened immune systems, and systemic inflammation. He added, “Pollutants alsoincrease the risk of vascular diseases and damage the nervous system.”
The growingincidence of cancer in the province highlights the severe health risks posed bythe pollution. A medical source from the Dhi Qar Health Directorate reportedthat cancer cases in the region have skyrocketed in recent years. From 2006 to2012, the number of registered cancer patients rose from 557 to 4,300, and by2019, more than 7,500 cases were recorded. Unfortunately, only 25% of thedemand for treatment and medications is being met.
More recentdata from the Dhi Qar Cancer Center indicates that 4,250 new cancer cases havebeen reported since 2012, with an average of 900 new cases annually andapproximately 500 cancer-related deaths each year. These figures, however,exclude unregistered cases, as many patients opt to seek treatment abroad dueto inadequate local healthcare facilities.
In 2022alone, there were 1,562 new cancer diagnoses in Dhi Qar, according to theHealth Ministry. Abdul-Baqi Al-Omari, head of the Dhi Qar Council, confirmedthat the total number of cancer cases in the province exceeds 8,000, includingthose who have passed away.
While nodefinitive scientific studies have yet directly linked these rising cancerrates to environmental pollution, the correlation between the growth offactories, inadequate water treatment, and the expansion of oil refineries ishard to ignore.
Addressingthe sources of pollution is seen as necessary for improving public healthoutcomes and reducing the burden of diseases like cancer, which has been risingrapidly in Dhi Qar.
Efforts toAddress Pollution
Efforts tocurb pollution in Dhi Qar have been ongoing, though progress remains slow.According to Mohsen Aziz, Director General of the Environmental Protection andImprovement Department for the southern region, several key sources contributeto the deteriorating air quality in the province. “Violations are typicallyaddressed through warnings, fines, and sometimes closures, but legal action israre and often delayed.”
Azizemphasized the need for broader governmental action, calling for moresustainable solutions. “We need regulated waste incinerators and automatedburning systems for brick and asphalt plants,” he said. Additionally, Azizproposed transitioning these facilities from black oil to cleaner fuels, suchas natural gas or kerosene, to significantly reduce their environmental footprint.
Furthermore,Aziz urged local municipalities in Al-Nasiriyah and other districts to identifyalternative sanitary landfill sites to replace current non-compliant locations.He also stressed the importance of enforcing a strict ban on unauthorized burningpractices.
Whileefforts are underway to mitigate pollution, the legal framework in placeprovides the structure for long-term enforcement and accountability.
LegalFramework and Enforcement
Iraq hasestablished a legal framework to address environmental pollution through theEnvironmental Protection and Improvement Law No. 27 of 2009. This law created anational system for environmental management, including the establishment of aCouncil for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment, overseen by theMinistry of Environment. Smaller councils will also be set up in each provinceto implement local environmental measures.
The lawmandates the adoption of clean technologies, including pollution monitoringsensors and renewable energy technologies. It also requires an environmentalimpact assessment for any new projects, ensuring that potential environmentalrisks are addressed before implementation.
A keyfeature of the law is the protection of water resources, including regulationsto limit the discharge of pollutants from domestic, industrial, andagricultural sources. Additionally, the law includes provisions to regulate airpollution, noise reduction, soil protection, and biodiversity preservation.
The law alsoaddresses hazardous waste management and sets guidelines for oil and gasoperations. It established an environmental protection fund, offering rewardsfor compliance and penalties for violators. The penalties range from fines ofup to 10 million Iraqi dinars (approximately $7,600) for direct violations toimprisonment for up to five years for violations involving hazardousradioactive materials.
However,environmental experts have noted that these measures have not been sufficientto deter violators. The law has been in effect for nearly 15 years, and expertsargue that it needs revision to better reflect regional and globalenvironmental challenges. Stronger penalties, they say, are crucial forensuring the long-term sustainability of Iraq’s natural resources andenvironment.