ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil’s air quality has improved dramatically following the shutdown of illegal oil refineries around the Kurdistan Region’s capital, a local official told Rudaw.
“The illegal refineries have been shut down. Those that remain are no longer operating. As a result, they have significantly contributed to cleaning the region’s air,” said Dilshad Mirani, head of Erbil’s Environment Department.
He added that closing the refineries has had a substantial impact on improving the city’s overall environmental conditions.
According to Mirani, Erbil’s environment is “100 percent cleaner” compared to the past two years.
“In previous years, air pollution levels in Erbil reached 176 degrees, but now they have dropped to just 56 degrees,” he said, referring to air quality index measurements.
Mirani noted that several key factors have contributed to the capital’s improved air quality, including the implementation of the Runaki Project.
“The Runaki Project and the phasing out of thousands of private generators were major contributors to improving Erbil’s air quality. In addition to polluting the air, generators were also contaminating the soil and groundwater,” he explained.
The Runaki Project - meaning “light” in Kurdish - is an ambitious initiative aimed at providing 24-hour uninterrupted electricity across the Kurdistan Region.
According to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), more than 4.5 million citizens curently receive uninterrupted power through the program.
The project has significantly reduced emissions across the Region.
Another measure contributing to environmental improvements was a "compulsory" government decision requiring factories and restaurants to install smoke filters.
“With all these measures combined, green spaces have increased to nearly 22 percent,” Mirani said.
However, he cautioned that pollution has not been completely eliminated.
“We cannot say that emissions and odors have entirely disappeared. There are still individuals who pollute the environment by burning tires. Tire smoke causes more environmental damage than many factories,” he warned.
Illegal refineries in the Kurdistan Region
Sanaan Abdulla, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Environment Board, said the KRG does not supply crude oil to illegal refineries, nor do such refineries have legal access to crude in the market.
“As a result, the majority of them have ceased operations,” Abdulla said, adding that the move has had “positive impacts” on Erbil’s air quality.
According to Abdulla, there are 153 illegal refineries across the Kurdistan Region - 139 in Erbil province and 14 in Duhok.
“There are no illegal refineries in Sulaimani or Halabja provinces. However, there are sites where fuel is transported, which also negatively affect the environment,” he said.
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