FAO Strengthens Commitment to Iraq in Addressing Environmental and Agricultural Challenges

Led by Mr LI Lifeng, Director of the Land and Water division (NSL), and accompanied by Ms Fidaa Haddad, Forestry Officer of Forestry division, Mr Jacopo Monzini, Senior Natural Resources Management Officer of Investment Centre and Mr Feras Ziadat, NSL officer, the working group closely assessed Iraq's diverse environmental and agricultural challenges and potential solutions, including water harvesting and storage, modern irrigation, combatting sand and dust storms , afforestation, wastewater treatment and re-use, drought tolerant crops.

Accompanied by FAO Representative in Iraq, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, and his team, the mission participated in important meetings with key Iraqi high-level officials including a Grand Audience with the President of the Republic, productive discussions with the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee, collaborative dialogues with His Excellency the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Awn Dhiab Abdullah, their Excellencies the Technical Deputy of the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Jasim Abdul Aziz Hamadi, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bilateral Relations, Ambassador Mohammed Bahar Al-Ulum, and the Technical Deputy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Mithaq Al-Khafaji.

In addition to these significant meetings, the delegation convened with members of the UN Country Team Priority Working Group promoting Natural Resource and Disaster Risk Management, and Climate Change Resilience (PWG4). This meeting, which was also attended by a representative of the office of the Deputy Special Representative of the United National Secretary-General for Iraq (DSRSG), provided a comprehensive overview of the climate-related challenges in Iraq and showcased the collaborative efforts of various United Nations agencies in addressing these challenges.

The team also had the opportunity to closely witness FAO Iraq programs and strong collaboration with key Iraqi ministries, underscoring FAO's commitment to supporting Iraq's sustainable development efforts and fostering impactful partnerships.

Iraqi officials expressed their deep appreciation for FAO's work and cooperation. They acknowledged FAO's critical role in addressing environmental and agricultural challenges, further strengthening the enduring partnership between Iraq and FAO.

Mr. Li emphasized the vital role of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal, currently under review by the Fund, in addressing these climate-related challenges and advised to maximize the resources of GCF and Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to enhance its resilience against the impacts of climate change and land degradation. The mission's objectives align closely with leveraging the GCF to support Iraq's environmental and agricultural priorities, all of which are geared towards addressing climate impacts, environmental challenges, improving food security, and ensuring a sustainable future for Iraq.

Dr. El Hajj Hassan stated "Our role in Iraq is a testament to FAO's unwavering commitment to addressing the country's agricultural and climate challenges. We are committed to working hand in hand with the Government of Iraq to bring about transformative solutions. FAO will continue to provide support to strengthen Iraq’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

The FAO mission to Iraq represents an important step towards addressing Iraq's agricultural and climate challenges priorities.  The collaboration between FAO and Iraq's esteemed partners is expected to create transformative solutions that will help sustainable resources management, strengthen the bastions of food security and build the nation's resilience in the face of adversity.

For more information, please contact:

Khawla Ben Aicha, International Communications Specialist: khawla.benaicha@fao.org

Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq : salah.elhajjhassan@fao.org

To know more about FAO and its various divisions, please visit the following websites:

• FAO Land and Water: https://www.fao.org/land-water/home/en/
• FAO Investment Center: https://www.fao.org/support-to-investment/en/
• FAO Forestry: https://www.fao.org/forestry/en/