Abstract
As a nation, Iraq is currently experiencing climate change impacts that are comparable to or even worse than those of many other nations. The effects of these climate changes are being felt in the form of global warming, changes to the elements that drive weather, and sea level rise. Iraq is experiencing water stress due to rising temperatures, declining precipitation rates, altered distribution patterns, and rising evaporation. However, they initiate a chain reaction of other changes, such as droughts, desertification, and sandstorms. The southern portion of the Tigris-Euphrates basin is threatened by flooding, and Iraq's ports and coastline are at risk due to the predicted rise in sea level. So far, the agricultural sector in Iraq has been severely impacted by the decreased water availability for arable lands. These discharges have already been exacerbated by the unequal distribution of water resources by Turkey, the primary source of water for the two rivers. All previous projections and studies indicate that the current negative climate change trends are likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Loss of cultivable land to desertification, recurrent droughts and sand storms, and declining agriculture are the pattern of change in Iraq's already fragile environment; and this will inevitably lead to much more suffering for the population and social unrest in the future. These will contribute to the enormous pressures that all future governments will face if the government does not implement protective planning and solutions.
