Post By: Kyle Conway
Iraq itself is using many different tactics to dealing with environmental issues but when it comes down to it, as previously noted in last weeks blog, the most effective way would be to stop acts of war in the region. War contributes to the majority of the environmental issues happening in Iraq, due to the various methods of warfare strategy and many other variables. Military operations in three wars since 1980 have created environmental crises for the country that have even spanned to the leaving behind of unexploded bombs and land mines. With war also comes damage, and with damage comes infrastructure issues in many parts of the population. These infrastructure issues lead to significant amounts of people living without adequate water supply or sanitation systems, leading to disease epidemics and other negative outcomes. Iraq also has the highest amount of prisoners stuck in prison with no charges, and have the most executions in the world.
On the issue of war, and its effects on the environment, Iraq and its government is more worried about finding solutions to bigger an more immediate problems like ending war itself and creating a democratic state to where the people can live no longer under such oppression. The Middle East being such a war torn area for such a long period of time has unfortunately caused many environmental issues that may not see an end any time soon with the emergence of ISIS and other radical groups in the region.
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On the issue of water, pollution and lack of management by the government has also led to the degradation of many of Iraq’s major waterways. As noted in the last blog, under Saddam Hussein’s rule, the government constructed a system in which drained the marshes in the lower regions, changing circulation of water to people and wildlife patterns.
Some ways in which the government is dealing with these environmental issues include the appointing of a ministry of environment, who since 2004 has been attempting to restore the circulation of water in the major waterways. Although these small steps have been and are being made, long-term environmental crises such as the depletion of marshlands have very low priority in Iraqi society.
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The human rights situation in Iraq remains a main concern for many activists and groups around the world as Iraqi civilians face threats from multiple groups. These groups include the government forces, the Islamic State in Iraq, and other armed groups that all battle for territory in Iraq causing an upsurge in violence in all areas of the country. Many Iraqi’s and people from the outside believe that the Iraqi central government is and has been a main contributing factor to the violations of human rights by using a systemic pattern of abuse. This consistent pattern of human rights violations by the government and outside groups has been a huge factor in the widespread disconnect in Iraq that has left thousands of citizens stuck in prison without charge. It is very astonishing to see that even after the US led invasion that ended Saddam Husseins dictatorship over ten years ago, Iraq remains defined as a place of human rights abuses.
Amnesty International is a group focused on working to stop human rights violations all over the world, including Iraq. They bring awareness to human rights issues in the region and attempt to address them by creating a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting the idea that every human being has rights. In Iraq specifically, they use the same tactics as they do anywhere else in the world, by bringing awareness to the issues and attempting to create a movement, worldwide, to end the violations of human righs.
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Climate change is inevitable and is a definite factor in today’s world, as weather patterns, natural disasters, raising sea-levels, heat waves, droughts, water shortages, and the spread of diseases impact all things climate related. All of these issues directly and indirectly threaten the range of human rights by people throughout the world, including the right to life, water, sanitation, food, health, housing, culture, etc.
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