Iraqi President Rashid stresses international action on climate change
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Abdul Latif Rashid reiterated Iraq’s commitment to working with international partners in seeking sustainable solutions for climate change during an international conference in Baghdad on Sunday.
Rashid described climate change as one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity.
Delegations from other countries, representatives from the United Nations including from the World Health Organization, and several international organizations attended the International Conference on Climate Change and its Impact on Health Security in Iraq.
The Iraqi president said that the event serves as a platform for sharing expertise and developing strategies to improve health security in Iraq and the broader region.
Other senior Iraqi officials and a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also attended the conference that will continue until Monday.
“Unfortunately, until now, I have noticed… that the execution of decisions is not as it should be,” Rashid said, stressing the need for better implementation of accords from international environmental conferences, mentioning the Paris Climate Agreement.
In 2023, Rashid, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani attended the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP28 in Dubai, leading separate delegations.
Iraq is among the nations most vulnerable to climate change, facing significant challenges such as water and food insecurity, exacerbated by reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and poor water management, according to the UN. The World Bank estimated in 2022 that Iraq requires $233 billion in investments by 2040 to address the impact of climate change.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently issued a report in November noting that 2023 had “shattered” climate records warning of its “trail of devastation and despair.”
Rashid described climate change as one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity.
Delegations from other countries, representatives from the United Nations including from the World Health Organization, and several international organizations attended the International Conference on Climate Change and its Impact on Health Security in Iraq.
The Iraqi president said that the event serves as a platform for sharing expertise and developing strategies to improve health security in Iraq and the broader region.
Other senior Iraqi officials and a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also attended the conference that will continue until Monday.
“Unfortunately, until now, I have noticed… that the execution of decisions is not as it should be,” Rashid said, stressing the need for better implementation of accords from international environmental conferences, mentioning the Paris Climate Agreement.
In 2023, Rashid, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani attended the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP28 in Dubai, leading separate delegations.
Iraq is among the nations most vulnerable to climate change, facing significant challenges such as water and food insecurity, exacerbated by reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and poor water management, according to the UN. The World Bank estimated in 2022 that Iraq requires $233 billion in investments by 2040 to address the impact of climate change.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently issued a report in November noting that 2023 had “shattered” climate records warning of its “trail of devastation and despair.”