Samawah, Iraq — Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
Sand and dust storms — driven by severe drought, rising temperatures, and deforestation — have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ocher haze, grounded flights, and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to efforts to address the root of the problem.
In a relatively small area between the cities of Nasiriyah and Samawah, not far from ancient Sumerian ruins, laborers are working to stabilize the soil by applying a layer of moist clay 20 to 25 centimeters thick.
The project also includes planting heat-tolerant seedlings such as Prosopis and Conocarpus to further stabilize the soil.
“The main goal is to reduce the impact of transboundary dust storms, which may reach Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar,” said Udai Taha Lafta from UN-Habitat, which is leading the project to combat sandstorms with Iraqi expertise.
“It is a vital area despite its small size, and will hopefully help reduce dust storms next summer,” Lafta said.
A short-term objective is to shield a southern highway where many traffic accidents have occurred because of poor visibility during dust storms.
‘Slow but steady’
The Ministry of Environment estimates that Iraq now faces about 243 storms per year, and that the frequency could rise to 300 “dust days” by 2050 unless drastic mitigation measures are adopted.
In 2023, Iraqi authorities teamed up with UN-Habitat and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in areas identified as major sources of sandstorms.
The project has implemented several methods in three southern areas, including digging water canals and supplying electricity to pump water from the Euphrates River, preparing barren land for vegetation.
One of the project’s ultimate goals is to expand green spaces and enable farmers to eventually sustain the land after droughts and chronic water shortages drastically reduced agricultural areas.
Qahtan al-Mhana, from the Agriculture Ministry, said stabilizing the soil gives agricultural efforts in sandy areas a chance to endure.
He added that Iraq has extensive “successful” experience in combating desertification and dust storms by stabilizing sand dunes.
Since the 1970s, the country has implemented such projects, but after decades of turmoil, environmental challenges largely fell by the wayside.
With the severe recent impacts of climate change, “work has resumed,” said Najm Abed Taresh from Dhi Qar University.
“We are making slow but steady progress,” Taresh said.
