Iraqis have not enjoyed clean, unpolluted air for more than two decades due to numerous reasons, starting with wars and chaos and not ending with “burning waste,” which has become a phenomenon threatening people’s lives and health. The absence of proper landfill sites and recycling methods has exacerbated this issue, causing Iraq to pay a high price for its inability to manage this problem, adding a new environmental crisis to the country following climate change.
In shocking figures, Fadel Al-Gharawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq, revealed today, Tuesday, that each citizen contributes more than 2 kilograms of waste daily, bringing the total daily waste to 23 million tons, causing significant air pollution.
In 2023, Iraq generated approximately 11 million tons of waste annually, with each individual producing an average of 1.5 kg of waste daily, according to statistics from the Ministry of Planning.
Al-Gharawi stated in a press release received by “Al-Alam Al-Jadeed” that “Iraq and Bahrain ranked second and fourth respectively on the list of the world’s most polluted countries for 2023, according to a study by Swiss air quality technology company IQ Air. Chad recorded the highest pollution level at 89.7 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 17 times the World Health Organization’s recommended air purity level of 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter.”
He added, “Iraq ranked second with 80.1 micrograms, Pakistan third with 70.9 micrograms, Bahrain fourth with 66.6 micrograms, and Bangladesh fifth with 65.8 micrograms.”
The study shows that pollution rates in Iraq have nearly doubled in one year, from 49.7 in 2021-2022, and Iraq was the tenth most polluted country in 2020-2021 with 39.6 micrograms.
According to the company’s report, “the average concentration of pollutants in Iraq was 43.8 micrograms per cubic meter, while the UAE had a concentration of 43 micrograms per cubic meter.”
Iceland is noted for having “the cleanest air in the world,” with a PM2.5 concentration of 3.4 micrograms per cubic meter, among 100 countries included in the study.
According to the latest reports from 2023, Iraq produces 20 million tons of waste daily, with Baghdad alone generating 9,000 tons daily. These quantities represent a vast resource awaiting investment through recycling to produce new usable materials while protecting the environment and providing job opportunities for the unemployed.
Recyclable materials include metals such as iron, aluminum, steel, plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, car tires, and textiles. Sewage water can also be recycled.
Electronic waste is also recyclable. According to the United Nations, 41 million tons of electronic waste were dumped in landfills in 2014, with about one-sixth properly recycled.
While countries are increasingly turning to recycling amid rapid industrial and technological development, Iraq continues to rely on traditional disposal methods, missing out on potential benefits.
Waste covers large areas in various Iraqi provinces, leading residents to burn it to eliminate it and its foul odors, causing toxic fumes and resulting in respiratory issues among the population.
Iraq is one of the countries most at risk of environmental pollution due to war-related waste and widespread garbage in urban and rural areas.
Thousands of tons of waste are dumped daily in unregulated landfills, especially in Baghdad, with around 30,000 tons of solid waste and medical waste buried daily, exposing citizens to environmental pollutants and various diseases.
Provinces in Iraq suffer from the allocation of large areas for waste disposal, leading many residents to burn it to rid themselves of the foul odors, causing toxic fumes and respiratory issues. This has led many to file complaints with the Ministry of Environment, demanding the removal of polluting landfills.
Many projects for establishing recycling plants to convert waste into usable materials, such as fertilizers or sorting solid materials, have been proposed in recent years. However, due to the financial crisis and the war against ISIS in 2014, most of these projects were halted, prompting Baghdad Municipality to resort to traditional waste burial methods.
