ﺍﻷﱈ ﺍﳌﺘﺤﺪﺓ - ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺍﻕ United Nations Iraq FACTSHEET World Environment Day 2013 JUNE 2013 HOW ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSES FOOD INSECURITY in IRAQ The 2013 global theme for 2013 health effects of food World Environment Day is “Think.Eat. • 1.9 million iraqis or 5.7% of the population are food deprived1, deprivation Save”, a campaign that encourages consuming less than the average dietary energy requirements of everyone to take action to minimize 2,161 kilocalories per day. The negative impact of food deprivation food waste, and creates awareness • a further 4 million iraqis or 14% of the population are on the health of Iraqis is significant. about the environmental impact of food vulnerable to food insecurity2. Malnutrition, especially in children, production. increases the frequency and severity of infectious diseases, affects intellectual food deprivation at district level and physical development, and increases Dahuk mortality. food insecurity in iraq Erbil • 8.5% of Iraqi children under five are in iraq, food security is fragile. Ninewa underweight3. iraqis cannot afford to waste Sulaymaniyah food. Kirkuk • 1 in 4 Iraqi children experience stunted physical and intellectual growth due to Salah al-Din chronic undernutrition4. Diyala climate change and Baghdad Anbar environmental degradation Wassit are jeopardizing agricultural what is food security? Kerbala Babil production in iraq. Food security exists when all Qadissiya Missan Agriculture is still the second largest people, at all times, have physical, contributor to GDP in Iraq after the oil Prevalence of Food Najaf Thi-Qar social, and economic access to Deprivation (%) sector. It is the main source of livelihoods sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for poor and food insecure people, and 0 - 5.0% which that meets their dietary Basrah the largest source of rural employment. needs and food preferences for an 5.1 - 15.0% Muthanna However, Iraqi agriculture has declined active and healthy life. (FAO) 15.1 - 30.0% over the years. 30.1 - 51.0% Source: WFP, 2012. how environmental damage causes food insecurity in iraq World Environment Day 2013 AGRICULTURAL DECLINE environmental factors affecting local food production desertification • Agriculture made up 9% of GDP in 2002 drought and water scarcity and only 3.6% in 2009. • According to the Government of Iraq, Low precipitation means production losses for rain fed crops. Iraqi crops rely heavily 92% of the total area of Iraq is at risk of • The value of agricultural exports was on irrigation, and the agricultural sector consumes85% of all of Iraq’s water resources. desertification,9 a process that causes USD 78 million in 1985, but had dropped relatively dry land to become increasingly to usd 68 million by 2008. • In the north of Iraq, cereals are the main crop, relying heavily on rainfall. In central arid. and southern Iraq, crops depend on irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates river • Until 1996, Iraq cultivated more date systems. deforestation palms than any other country in the world. Total date production fluctuated • The total cultivated wheat area requiring irrigation increased by 33% between 2000 • Significant reductions in vegetation between 500,000 and 600,000 tons/ and 2010. cover occurred all over the country. year. After a significant decrease, exports Between 2009 and 2012, the total area are now recovering, but production is still • In 2008 and 2009, the droughts that affected the country damaged almost 40% of covered by vegetation decreased by 65% only 200,000-300,000 tons/year5. the cropland, with higher intensity in the northern governorates and reaching to over in Diyala, 47% in Salah Al-Din, and 41% 50% in Ninewa and Erbil. in Basra. at the same time, iraq is relying more and more on food imports IRAQ - Druoguhgt hint 2A Cnoanlyssecisu tive years 2008 - 2009 sand and dust-storms percentage of crop damaged e: 17, June 2009 to meet its domestic needs. by drought in 2008 andAr e2009as affected from the drought as of April 2009 T U R K E Y The Euphrates and Tigris basin has been Dahuk Pecentage of • In 1985, the total value of agricultural Affected CropLand / Total CropLand identified as a significant source area for imports in 1985 was usd 1.76 billion. By 46% - 56% dust-storms in Iraq and across the region. Erbil 31% - 45% 2008, this figure had increased to usd Ninewa Fallow agricultural lands are considered S Y R I A N 26% - 30% 4.64 billion. A R A B the main hotspots of dust generation. Sulaymaniyah 6% - 25% R E P U B L I C Kirkuk 4% - 5% T ig r • The ratio of food imports over food is • It is likely that within the next 10 R iv Governorate Boundary e I S L A M I C Eu r ph exports increased from 4.9% in 2004 to ra years the number of dust-storms will te R E P U B L I C s R Salah al-Din iv River 9% in 20116. er O F I R A N significantly increase, with potentially Lakes Diyala devastating effects on Iraq’s agriculture • Iraq imports 3-4 million tons of wheat and food security10. Baghdad per year. Other major food imports N Anbar include cattle and chicken meat, rice, oils A Wassit • Dust-storms damage crops, cause soil D Kerbala Babil and fats, milk, tea, and sugar. R loss and remove organic matter and O J Qadissiya Missan nutrient rich topsoil particles, thereby • About 60% to 70% of vegetables are reducing agricultural productivity11. Thi-Qar supplied by imports from neighbouring Najaf Euphrates River countries7. • The erosion of one centimetre of Basrah surface soil is estimated to lead to the Muthanna reduction of agricultural crop production 12 S A U D I A R A B I A by more than 2% . Source: WFP, 2012. K U W A I T how environmental damage causes food insecurity in iraq World Environment Day 2013 unpredictable weather • 40% of the Iraqi daily dietary what needs to be done to addressing food security consumption is represented by wheat achieve food security for all Meeting the immediate needs of the • Climate change also creates unstable flour and its derivatives19. iraqis? how is the un helping? most vulnerable climatic conditions. • Import dependency for wheat is Achieving food security calls for an • More than 60% of the population • In May 2013, nearly 600 families expected to surpass 70% by 202020 integrated approach. The rehabilitation depends on Iraq’s Public Distribution were displaced by severe flooding, representing a real alarm for food and development of Iraqi agriculture System (pds) as its main source of food. and approximately 75,000 acres of security in the country. is a medium/long-term aim. It can The PDS needs to be reformed to reduce crops were damaged or destroyed by only be achieved through coherent, the related market distortions and to floodwaters in Missan, Qadissiya, and coordinated efforts based on policy increase efficiency by targeting only the Wassit Governorates13. improvements and investment population in need. projects, including rehabilitation of land degradation support services and capacity building. • wfp supports the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to reform social • 100,000 hectares are lost on average Policies and interventions to ensure safety nets for vulnerable groups and is each year due to land degradation14. food supply must consider the supporting the Ministry of Education to interconnection between food security, design and implement a national school • Agricultural land dwindled from 23% of WITH ENvIronmental factorS agricultural productivity, sustainable meals programme. Iraq’s total land area in 1993 to 19% in environmental management, and 201115. causing SO MANy challenges climate change. • UNICEF, who, wfp, and FAO have supported the Ministry of Health to • In 2009, Iraq cultivated 31% less wheat for food Production IN Iraq, The UN supports the Government of develop Iraq’s first National Nutrition and 49% less barley than in 200516. Iraq on these policies and interventions Strategy, which aims to significantly THE FUTUrE OF THE food SUPPLy through the work of several of its reduce malnutrition rates among iraq faces a growing demand for food agencies, funds and programmes: children, among other nutrition issues. IS uncertain. WITH FUrTHEr • The population of Iraq is expected to • United Nations Environment surpass 42 million by 2020. DETErIOration OF THE land, Programme (unep) combating climate change • United Nations Development Improving environmental management • To maintain the average supply levels of water Systems, and climate, Programme (undp) at the national level 1998-2008 (213 kg/per year/per person), • Food and Agriculture Organization Iraq will require 9 million tons of wheat Iraq WILL HAvE to rELy MOrE (FAO) • UNEP and undp are supporting by 202017. • World Food Programme (wfp) the preparation of the Iraqi National and MOrE ON food IMPOrts to • United Nations Educational, Communication (inc) report to the • Average wheat productivity is expected Scientific and Cultural Organization un Framework Convention on Climate to fall by 12.5% by 2020 as a result FEED its Growing population. (UNESCO) Change (UNFCCC) in compliance with of reduced precipitation and rising • United Nations Children’s Fund member states’ convention based temperatures18. (unicef) periodic obligation. how environmental damage causes food insecurity in iraq World Environment Day 2013 • undp and unep also support reducing drought risk • Sand and dust-storms are a trans- endnotes the Ministry of Environment in the Mapping past drought patterns and state boundary phenomenon, and the need 1 WFP, food securITy, LIvING conditions and implementation of the National of preparedness for regional cooperation remains SOCIAL TransferS IN Iraq, 2012. Environmental Strategy and Action Plan paramount. For this reason, unep has 2 (NESAP) that will serve as the blue print • undp and UNESCO are undertaking the also started working on a strategy for the IBID.