Shafaq News/ Iraq seems to be facing its share of crisesfrom afar. The latest issue on the horizon stems from the wildfires in LosAngeles, California. Experts have raised alarms about the emissions from thesefires being carried by winds toward Iraq, causing a rise in air temperature andrespiratory distress.
Since Tuesday, January 7, six simultaneous wildfires haveravaged neighborhoods in Los Angeles, resulting in at least 25 fatalities anddestruction, including the loss of 10,000 buildings. The toll is expected torise.
US President Joe Biden has labeled these fires as the worstin the city's history, describing the situation as "the largest and mostdestructive wildfires in California's history," and emphasizing that"climate change is a reality."
Gas Clouds
The winds aiding the spread of the Los Angeles fires havereached speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, and experts agree that thesewinds can carry both the fires and their emissions, including sulfur dioxide,which forms smoke columns that reach the atmosphere.
Environmental pollution expert Iqbal Latif Jaber predictsthat clouds carrying the gases from the Los Angeles wildfires will reach Iraq'sskies.
In an interview with Shafaq News, Jaber stated, "Thedanger to Iraq lies in the fact that the northwestern winds will carry sulfurdioxide and carbon dioxide from the fires in the US to Iraq."
She added that, on Friday, January 10, residents of Baghdadexperienced a noticeable increase in air temperature and chest tightness, whichshe attributes to sulfur dioxide produced by emissions from the Los Angelesfires.
Jaber concluded that "climate change is the biggestthreat to human health and biodiversity," compounded by Iraq's ongoingstruggle with air pollution from factories, public transportation, and othersources.
Baghdad's Pollution
The capital, Baghdad, is facing a significant rise inpollution levels, often leading to suffocation cases, especially due to thesulfur smell that intermittently fills the air with no clear source.
On January 5, Baghdad's pollution index peaked as windssubsided and no substantial solutions were found to address its sources.
The Iraqi Telescope website attributed the rise in pollutionto the presence of particulate matter, particularly those measuring 2.5microns, in the air. These fine particles, which may be made of Carbon, Lead,Ammonia, or Nitrates, pose a serious health risk as they enter the respiratorysystem.
No Forests, No Wildfires
As for whether Iraq could experience fires similar to thosein Los Angeles, meteorologist Sadeq Atiyah asserts that the cause of the LosAngeles wildfires was forest drought, a phenomenon also seen in some parts ofAustralia.
However, Iraq is distant from such occurrences. "Thereare no forests here to catch fire," he explained.
Atiyah further noted that, occasionally, in the post-harvestseason during April and May, fires may occur in the forests of Mosul or thefarmlands of Salah al-Din due to various causes, such as lightning orhuman-induced accidental fires.
However, these fires are not as intense as the onescurrently engulfing Los Angeles.
Dr. Kazem Abdul Wahab Al-Asadi, a climate change professorat the University of Basra, added that the climatic similarity between Iraq andLos Angeles is not enough to trigger large wildfires. The lack of vast forests,extensive tall grasses, and fast winds that could fuel such fires means thatthey are only likely to occur in limited areas far from urban centers.
He explained that "fires could start during grain cropplanting in the summer, but these are local fires that are easy to control forseveral reasons," including lower elevation, slower winds, and theavailability of means to contain and extinguish them.
In turn, Amer Al-Jabri, the media director of the IraqiMeteorological Organization, reassured that Iraq's geography and terrain differfrom other parts of the world, so it is unlikely to be impacted by events likethose in Los Angeles.
He emphasized that Iraq does not feel the effects of climatechanges in neighboring countries, let alone distant ones, though it can beaffected by seismic activity, such as that occurring in Iran.
Drought Crisis
The SPI (Soil Moisture Index) for the Middle East inDecember 2024 revealed severe and extreme drought conditions across most ofIraq (ranging from 1.6 to 1.8 below the natural threshold), as reported by theIraqi Meteorological Organization.
The organization attributed the widespread drought in Iraqto the low rainfall levels in December, which affected large parts of theArabian Peninsula, Iran, and Turkiye.
Iraq has been facing a prolonged drought crisis for severalyears, but it has worsened over the past four years, with water levels droppingto unprecedented lows due to regional drought.
The situation is further exacerbated by the country beingamong the five most affected by climate change, according to reports from theUnited Nations and other relevant international organizations.
The second key reason for the drought is the reduced waterflow from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, caused by the water policies of Iranand Turkiye.
Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani confirmed in March2023 that seven million Iraqis have been affected by climate change.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq haspreviously highlighted that the marshes are the most vulnerable areas toclimate change, noting that Iraq loses around 400,000 acres of agriculturalland annually due to these shifts.
According to the 2019 Water Stress Index forecast, Iraq maybecome landlocked with no rivers by 2040, with the Tigris and Euphrates nolonger reaching their final destination in the Arabian Gulf.