The environment in Iraq is a real disaster. This can be seen by the state of the health of the Iraqi people. The reappearance of many diseases is directly related to the environmental condition. in the country. In fact it is one of the despotic regime's crimes against our people. The regime of Sadam had intentionally neglected this vital issue. His unsafe production and storage of chemical and biological weapons and later hushlly destroying them inside the rivers and underground caused many related illnesses. At his eight years of war against Iran and against the Iraqi Kurds, the regime of Sadam used a lots of chemical weapons that destroyed people, land, and water. During the second Gulf war, the allied forces used a lots of weapons that contain depleted uranium and its remain wreckage will cause a lot of concern for many generation to come.
The destruction of the Marsh Land has been proven to be very costly and unrepaired catastrophe.
Protecting the human health and safeguarding the natural environment -air, water, and land upon which life depend is a real honorable patriotic task. It is one of the most pressing issues if we want to build a free and modern society.
Solving the problems of the environment is very beneficent and save lives. It will save a lot of money that otherwise will be directed to treat many infectious diseases.
The damages in our environment is very deep and require very ambitious plans and cooperation of all constituency to solve it.
The new Government of Iraq has to have a clear strategy and approach for the environment set forth by its responsible political organ whether it be a Ministry for the Environment or similar entity enforcing the environmental laws.
CREATING A MINISTRY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
The bulk of the environmental issues in Iraq require a special effort to repair the damage which had been inflicted by the despotic regime. Therefore we hope that our new Government will create a special ministry for this purpose. Its main role is in standard setting and should have the ability to delegate back to the various ministry the administration of the various media programs like water and air.
The mission of the ministry of the environment is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment-air, water, and land-upon which the life depends. The ministry purpose is to ensure that:
· All Iraqi are protected from significant risk to human health and the environment were they live, learn and work.
· National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information.
· National laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively.
· Environmental protection is an integral consideration in Iraqi policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy.
· All parts of society-communities, individuals, business, have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks.
· Environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive
· The new Iraq plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.
First and immediate action for the ministry of the environment is to clean up the remaining wreckage of the second Gulf war which contains depleted uranium. It is a radiation and chemical waste that is a carcinogenic. Safely disposing this wreckage requires cooperation of the nuclear countries and their experts.
Second most important task is the cleaning and rehabilitation of the Marsh Land which represents a unique environment zone the homeland of the ancient Arab Marsh people and the birth place of many civilizations. It is a natural habitat for many birds, plants and its shallow water surface is suitable for many economics activities like the plantation of high quality rice and fishing activities. Its large water surface and the growth of wild vegetation ameliorates the harsh climate conditions in the southern part of Iraq.
The despotic regime used alots of chemical and biological agencies to poison and kill the natural habitats and animals to force the people of the marshes flee their land. The regime intention was "justified" to hunt his opponents and to use this land to hide and later destroyed his chemicals and biological weapons.
Iraq's main production is the Oil and its Petrochemical industry, therefore the ministry of the environment has to establish a National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan for responding to both oil spills and hazardous substances release.
Creating a National Environmental Protection Agency to plan and implement the above mentioned tasks and for all other strategic issues is very helpful in this endeavor. It is the Technical Arm of the Ministry of the Environment.
http://www.iraqfoundation.org/news/2003/haug/19_environment.html
