Dr. Hallo Askari, Head of Kurdistan Environmental Protection and Improvement Board, on the Board’s objectives for reducing air pollution, reducing excessive use of plastics, creating awareness about the importance of environmental protection, and initiating environmental campaigns.
On the Board’s main objectives in terms for reducing air pollution
The quality of Kurdistan’s air is becoming increasingly more polluted due to several pollution sources:
- The increase in the number of cars, with 1.6 million cars now in active use in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)
- The large numbers of private petrochemical electricity generators in the city due to the insufficient public electricity supply. Currently, there are approximately 4,500 generators in use, most of which run for prolonged periods during the day
- The widespread use of petrochemical (mainly gasoline) based power plants and electricity generation stations
- Gas flares from the oil and gas industry
To mitigate the impact on the quality of air, the Board has outlined an ambitious and achievable program encompassing legislature, cooperation with industry and wider society, campaigning and awareness raising, as well as education and training. We have now drawn up a strong strategic plan, its main objectives are:
- Increasing awareness within society, specifically with respect to air quality
- Encouraging individuals to reduce their personal car usage, especially for short distance journeys
- Encouraging business to import environmentally friendly cars
- Recommending other alternative forms of transportation like trains and buses
- Using dedicated filters to reduce air pollution and gas flares
- Offering taxation exemptions on imports of eco-friendly cars and bicycles
- Improving the environmental laws and regulations to meet international standards
- Drawing up new strategies to improve the process of monitoring and examination
- Using new technology to analyze samples, and conduct examination and monitoring
- Providing training for our employees across a variety of fields
- Working to eliminate the burning of waste outside of the cities
- Encouraging the use of renewable energy over oil and gas
- Prohibiting the importing of certain gases used in heating and cooling systems that have a negative impact on air quality
- Collaborating better with the Ministry of Natural Resources to improve the quality of fuel, especially petrol and gasoline
- Supporting and improving our Board’s laboratories by providing them with better equipment for monitoring air quality
- Strengthening our relationship with international NGOs and governmental agencies to share information and learn from their experiences. Currently, our board is on a mission to amend the air quality regulation whilst simultaneously undertaking a project to monitor air quality in the region and find scientific solutions to improve it
To mitigate the impact on the quality of air, the Board has outlined an ambitious and achievable program encompassing legislature, cooperation with industry and wider society, campaigning and awareness raising, as well as education and training.
Dr. Hallo Askari, Head of Kurdistan Environmental Protection and Improvement Board
On the Board’s main objectives in terms of reducing the excessive use of plastics
Currently in the KRI, plastic bags, bottles, food and clothing packaging, and household goods are largely made from non-biodegradable plastics and their use is endemic. Unfortunately, there is currently little recycling of these materials and they are disposed off in landfills or by burning.
The people of Kurdistan are part of their environment and individuals may over-use plastics in their daily lives. Our Board strives to:
- Raise awareness about the negative impacts of plastic usage on health
- Set limits on the importing of certain plastic materials
- Replace plastic with environmentally friendly alternatives
- Encourage the public to minimize the use of disposable plastics
- Increase taxes on imported plastic to discourage its use when other alternatives are available
- Introduce regulations to reduce the use of disposable plastic in the region. Two projects are currently underway aimed at reducing plastic pollution:
- Recycling plastic water bottles
- Reducing and banning the usage of disposable plastic bags by 2025
Two projects are currently underway aimed at reducing plastic pollution:
Recycling plastic water bottles & Reducing and banning the usage of disposable plastic bags by 2025
Dr. Hallo Askari, Head of Kurdistan Environmental Protection and Improvement Board
On the Board’s activities in creating awareness about environmental protection among the public and relevant authorities
The Environment Board has gone to a lot of effort to raise public awareness, through:
- Building strong relations with other governmental organizations and ministries, especially working with the Ministry of Education to include environmental awareness in the school curriculum
- Engaging with schools, we created a mascot called ‘Zheenora’ to help positively influence children to save the environment
- Working with the Ministry of Electricity, to find environmentally friendly alternatives to replace the current sources of electricity production i.e. wind, water and solar energy systems
- Meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to:
- Encourage farmers to use novel methods and technologies when tilling the land and planting in order to minimize water use
- Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides in agricultural activities
- Build small dams to store and save rainfall water
- Working together with the Ministry of Municipality and Tourism to construct more drinking water refineries and water treatment plants
- Discussing with the Ministry of Natural Resources to find ways to protect the natural resources of Kurdistan and reduce the environmentally negative impacts of oil production processes such as exploration, drilling, refining and transportation
- Building relations with Environmental NGOs within the region, involving them in discussions and sharing ideas regarding environmental issues and solutions
- Connecting with cultural, social and civil organizations such as youth, women, and special needs organizations, to promote environmental awareness among them
On the Board’s environmental campaigns
The Environment Board will continue to run campaigns to raise societal awareness of environmental issues, particularly by demonstrating the negative impacts of environment pollution on human health, animals and other components of the natural environment. Recently, we ran a big campaign for the Kurdistan Environment Day. Soon, we are going to run more campaigns for a variety of projects, the primary one will be for the reduction in the use and where possible, ban of disposable plastic bags.
On the KRG’s vision to achieve global standards in environmental protection
The Environment Board has prepared several drafts for the amendment of existing regulations such as an amendment to the regulations on air quality and to introduce new regulations for environment fund. The Board is in good communication with the Ministry of Environment of Iraq, participating in the process of decision making, planning, prioritizing the environmental issues in the country. We send representatives to international meetings and conferences as well.
As the Environment Board, we encourage the use of renewable energies, and we support individuals and companies who are using such technologies. Our Board communicate with the Ministry of Electricity and with the Ministry of Agriculture & Water Resources to draw more attention to and build more support for the use of renewable energy.
Dr. Hallo Askari, Head of Kurdistan Environmental Protection and Improvement Board
On the KRI’s long-term potential in terms of renewable energy
Due to its geography and climate, the KRI would benefit from renewable energy sources especially the application of solar energy systems, as the KRI enjoys long hours of sunshine during the summer. There are a number of small projects started by local people and investors around solar energy, but they need more support to get off the ground, which sadly, the events of the past few years have prevented. As the Environment Board, we encourage the use of renewable energies, and we support individuals and companies who are using such technologies. Our Board communicate with the Ministry of Electricity and with the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the KRG to draw more attention to and build more support for the use of renewable energy.
