Report suggests 5,000 dunams of forests destroyed in Halabja wildfire
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 5,000 dunams of natural forests were destroyed in last week's wildfires in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region's eastern province of Halabja, according to results of an investigative committee set up to assess the damage, with an official claiming the financial damage could be in billion US dollars.
The devastating wildfire raged for three days until it was eventually brought under control by firefighting crews, a battle which claimed the lives of two - a civilian and a member of the Kurdistan Region’s forestry police - who died while trying to extinguish the wildfire.
Five thousand dunams of natural resources that contained oak, terebinth, walnut, cactuses, poplars, almonds and coconuts trees were destroyed, according to the findings, adding an additional 36 dunams of orchards in three villages were also damaged.
Mohammed Mahmood, in charge of Halabja forests department said another committee will have to be established to assess the financial losses.
"The financial damage of the natural forests are believed to be in the billions of dollars," Mahmood said.
Halabja mayor Smko Salar said they will submit the final report of the investigation results to the government to compensate those affected by the wildfire.
The blaze destroyed large parts of dense, mountainous forest in hard-to-reach areas. An official from Halabja last Tuesday told Rudaw that uncleared mines had made it more difficult to contain the fire.
Five thousand dunams of natural resources that contained oak, terebinth, walnut, cactuses, poplars, almonds and coconuts trees were destroyed, according to the findings, adding an additional 36 dunams of orchards in three villages were also damaged.
Mohammed Mahmood, in charge of Halabja forests department said another committee will have to be established to assess the financial losses.
"The financial damage of the natural forests are believed to be in the billions of dollars," Mahmood said.
Halabja mayor Smko Salar said they will submit the final report of the investigation results to the government to compensate those affected by the wildfire.
The blaze destroyed large parts of dense, mountainous forest in hard-to-reach areas. An official from Halabja last Tuesday told Rudaw that uncleared mines had made it more difficult to contain the fire.
Wildfires are a recurring problem in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly during the summer months when extreme heat significantly increases the risk.
Nearly half of the Kurdistan Region’s forests have been lost over the past several decades, an environment official said Wednesday, as civil defense teams struggle to contain recent blazes that have destroyed thousands of dunams of woodland.
“We have lost nearly 50 percent of our forests in the last 50 to 60 years,” Sanan Abdullah, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement, told Rudaw.
According to Abdullah, the Region had nearly 5 million dunams of forest land in the 1950s. From 2009 to 2022 alone, nearly one million dunams were lost. “This accounts for the loss of a historical sum of our forests,” he said.
A dunam equals 2,500 square meters.
He attributed the loss to “political, military, and social reasons,” as well as rising temperatures as climate change takes its toll on the region.
Nearly half of the Kurdistan Region’s forests have been lost over the past several decades, an environment official said Wednesday, as civil defense teams struggle to contain recent blazes that have destroyed thousands of dunams of woodland.
“We have lost nearly 50 percent of our forests in the last 50 to 60 years,” Sanan Abdullah, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement, told Rudaw.
According to Abdullah, the Region had nearly 5 million dunams of forest land in the 1950s. From 2009 to 2022 alone, nearly one million dunams were lost. “This accounts for the loss of a historical sum of our forests,” he said.
A dunam equals 2,500 square meters.
He attributed the loss to “political, military, and social reasons,” as well as rising temperatures as climate change takes its toll on the region.
Wildfires in Sulaimani province in late June scorched hundreds of dunams of land, destroyed centuries-old trees, and caused widespread environmental damage. Officials and residents warned at the time that limited resources and difficult terrain were hampering firefighting efforts.