Between the noise of thousands of cars, their honking horns, and the loudspeakers of roaming vendors, along with the sounds of power generators, Iraqis endure a suffering that has become part of their daily lives, amid the absence of effective laws protecting residents from constant noise pollution.
With population growth, declining services, and economic crises, Baghdad has now ranked among the highest areas in the world for noise pollution, adding another burden to the lives of Iraqis.
Iraq is experiencing significant population growth, exceeding 43 million people according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Planning, up from 35 million in 2015.
Fadel Al-Ghraoui, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, stated in a statement received by “The New World” that “noise pollution in Iraq is as dangerous as air and environmental pollution.” He pointed out that noise measurement devices in the capital, Baghdad, recorded levels of noise pollution higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization.
Al-Ghraoui explained that “WHO noise sensing devices recorded noise pollution levels in Baghdad ranging from 37.5 to 76 decibels, which is higher than the defined residential areas standard set by the organization at 45-55 decibels.”
He attributed the reasons for the increase in noise pollution to “the high rates of population growth in Iraq, the proliferation of factories and industrial workshops within cities without environmental standards, the significant increase in the number of cars, which has exceeded seven million cars using loud alarms or amplifiers, and the spread of power generators without soundproofing.” He also mentioned the noise from aircraft.
Al-Ghraoui emphasized that “continuous exposure to noise levels exceeding 80 decibels during daily routine activities has serious health implications.” He stated that noise pollution not only leads to hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypersensitivity to sound but also can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders, nervous stress, mental health problems, and cognitive impairment, including memory loss and attention deficits, as well as learning difficulties in childhood.
Al-Ghraoui called on the government, relevant ministries, and local authorities to “address the increase in noise pollution by establishing modern industrial cities outside urban areas, closing factories and workshops inside cities, requiring generator owners to install soundproofing, imposing fines on vehicles using loud alarms or amplifiers, and implementing sound and thermal insulation barriers in all cities.”
In recent years, Baghdad has topped international rankings as one of the worst cities in the world in various aspects of living conditions, maintaining its position among the top five countries according to the latest rankings.
According to forecasts from the Ministry of Planning published on its website, the country’s population is expected to reach 51 million by 2030, as the ministry also announced that 2020 witnessed the registration of 1,258,028 births.
This population increase comes amid multiple crises facing the country, including unemployment, poverty, rising food prices, as well as budgets that did not allocate any funds for new jobs, in addition to the deterioration of infrastructure.
The significant population growth in the country raises concerns among specialists in the social field about its negative effects, especially in the absence of plans to cope with these increases in numbers.
The Noise Control Law passed by Parliament in 2015 stipulates fines ranging from fifty thousand to one million dinars for anyone who violates the provisions of this law and the regulations and instructions issued pursuant to it. However, vendors managed to replace the lyrics of the song “Lower Your Voice, O Nation, Do Not Raise Your Voice” with their own voices, despite these penalties.
Schools in Iraq also complain about the noise from roaming vendors who use loudspeakers randomly or from car owners, as these sounds penetrate classrooms and significantly affect daily lessons.
