FAO and Ministry of Environment Advance Iraq's Land Degradation Monitoring with Handover of Field Monitoring Equipment

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Environment (MoE), marked another important milestone in their partnership through the handover of specialized field monitoring equipment under the FAO-implemented, Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded project "Sustainable Land Management for Improved Livelihoods in Degraded Areas of Iraq." The project supports Iraq's efforts to address land degradation, soil salinity and water quality by strengthening monitoring systems, promoting sustainable land management practices and enhancing national capacities.

 The handover ceremony, held at the Ministry of Environment headquarters in Baghdad, was attended by H.E. Sarwa Abdul Wahid, Minister of Environment, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq, Dr. Jasim Abdul Aziz Al-Falahi, Technical Deputy Minister of Environment, and Ms. Veronica Quattrola, Deputy FAO Representative in Iraq, alongside technical specialists from the Ministry of Environment and FAO.

The handover included 16 complete field monitoring packages, each comprising a soil quality measuring device, a water quality measuring device and a field tablet for digital data collection. The equipment will support Ministry of Environment specialists in collecting standardized field data that will feed into Iraq's National Land Degradation Monitoring Platform, strengthening evidence-based environmental management and sustainable land management efforts across the country.

The handover builds on the successful completion of the project's Knowledge Management and Technology (KMT) capacity-building programme, through which 46 Ministry of Environment specialists strengthened their technical skills in field data collection, soil and water monitoring, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and digital mapping technologies. Together, the training and equipment provide the knowledge and tools needed to support the operationalization of Iraq's National Land Degradation Monitoring Platform.

H.E. Sarwa Abdul Wahid, Minister of Environment, welcomed the continued collaboration with FAO and the Global Environment Facility, emphasizing the importance of reliable environmental data and strengthened national monitoring systems to support environmental planning and sustainable management of Iraq's natural resources.

Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq, emphasized that:" Strengthening national capacities goes beyond training. It also means ensuring that institutions have the tools needed to apply knowledge in the field. Today's handover marks another important milestone in our partnership with the Ministry of Environment and the Global Environment Facility as we continue supporting Iraq in building a modern, evidence-based land degradation monitoring system that will contribute to the sustainable management of its natural resources."

A key component of the project is the National Land Degradation Monitoring Platform, which integrates field observations with satellite imagery and digital mapping technologies to monitor changes in land cover, land productivity, and soil fertility. The platform supports government institutions in identifying land degradation hotspots, assessing risks and prioritizing land restoration efforts, enabling more informed and evidence-based decision-making.

The initiative contributes to Iraq's efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), while supporting the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2025-2029) through strengthened environmental governance, climate resilience and sustainable natural resource management.

For more information , please contact : 

Khawla Ben Aicha, International Communications Expert – FAO Iraq 
Email : khawla.benaicha@fao.org

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