ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Authorities in Erbil plan to establish a major green belt around the capital, which includes planting millions of pistachio and olive trees around the city. The aim of the project is to combat air pollution and climate change, an official announced on Wednesday.
“Within the framework of the project, millions of trees will be planted in a circular manner outside the 150-meter street," Sarwar Waysi, head of the parks’ engineering department in Erbil, told Rudaw on Wednesday.
He noted that they initially intended to begin work on Erbil’s green belt following the completion of the 120-meter circular road in recent years. However, plans changed with the decision to establish a 150-meter circular road instead. As a result, officials decided to construct a two-meter-wide green belt along the perimeter of the 150-meter road.
“The green belt will cover the parameters of Erbil in a circular manner along with the construction of more than 10 artificial lakes for watering the trees,” Waysi added.
Erbil has one of the highest levels of air pollution in Iraq. There are several causes, most notably, plumes of smoke from electricity generators and a large number of cars using low-quality fuel. Dust storms are also a frequent occurrence in Erbil.
The project aims to plant millions of pistachio and olive trees around Erbil city as a comprehensive solution to address climate change impacts, reduce dust storms, and increase urban greenery, the official said.
In the past couple days at least 40 people have been hospitalized in Erbil and Sulaimani due to the latest dust storm, sources told Rudaw on Tuesday.
Iraq is considered among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with poor water resource management and upstream dam projects in neighboring countries further decreasing the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Solin Hamdamin contributed to this article.
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