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Implementation of Relevant Biodiversity Strategies and Plans and Status of a National Biodiversity Strategy for Iraq

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  Develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity or adapt for this purpose existing strategies, plans or programmes which shall reflect, inter alia, the measures set out in the Convention relevant to the Contracting Party concerned;
  
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  Integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies.
  

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  set out medium range (5-10 year) strategies for conservation of biodiversity, its sustainable use and benefit sharing;
  
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  translate policy objectives into actions with timeframes, as well as address gaps in existing national biodiversity policy;
  
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  enable Iraq to develop coherent and prioritised biodiversity programmes and projects;
  
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  allow Iraq to effectively coordinate, monitor and evaluate biodiversity actions;
  
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  allow Iraq to strategically allocate resources with respect to biodiversity management;
  
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  improve capacity development with respect to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use; and
  
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  clarify roles of stakeholders, including national, provincial and local government, statutory bodies, research institutions, universities, and civil society.
  

Iraq will move on from existing strategies and objectives, and define the national priorities for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, highlighting environmental emergencies and/or endangered species of wild fauna and flora for which conservation and management actions are needed. In this process, Iraq will pay particular attention to integrating the purposes of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity with other relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, in order to allow the necessary balance between conservation and development needs of the country.

The drafting of such a national strategy for biodiversity would therefore need to follow the framework given by the Thematic Programmes and cross-cutting issues of the Convention, properly integrated with national issues and priorities.

1. RESPONSE Indicators for the Management of Biodiversity

The following table listing the three above mentioned indicators are analyzed in terms of what is needed to evaluate biodiversity conservation actions (gap analysis), what kind of data is still required, and where this information can be obtained.

1. RESPONSE TRENDS for the Management of Biodiversity

Indicator: Protected Areas

Iraq has three UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites. These include Hatra in Ninewa Governorate and two sites currently listed as in danger: Ashur (Aql’at Sherqat), which is threatened by a large dam project; and Samarra Archaeological City, which has lacked management control, both in Salah Ad Din Governorate. A tentative list of nine other sites has been proposed since 2000 (which are included in the table below). Most of these are cultural sites but one, the Mesopotamian Marshlands, is a mixed site.

In February 2008, Iraq designated the Hawizeh Marsh located in southern Iraq as a Ramsar site. A draft management plan was prepared and is under review by the National Ramsar Committee. In addition, in July of 2010, a revised operational plan was developed and also submitted to the National Ramsar Committee. The updated plan proposes the development of a National Park in Hawizeh. Unfortunately, to date no protected areas management actions have taken place in Hawizeh and no national legislation has been passed to strengthen protection of this area. Below is a map showing the Ramsar site.

The MOE is working with NI and the New Eden Group to designate Iraq’s first National Park in the Central Marshes. A draft management plan exists for this park and the site information is currently being updated by NI/New Eden Group. A map of the proposed park site is included below.

Delineation and land cover of Hawizeh Ramsar Site	Delineation and land cover of proposed Mesopotamia Marshlands National Park

The following table provides the total area of officially designated protected area overall as well as by ecoregion:

It is important to keep in mind that proposed sites such as the KBA sites or the Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park do not yet have any official protected area status and in some cases some of these sites may never receive such status but they remain important for scientific and biological diversity interests. As previously stated, at the time of this report though the Hawizeh Marshes are officially recognized by Iraq as a Ramsar site and a draft management plan was written in 2008 they have no actual protection on the ground at this time. There are other plans to designate the Marshlands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there are plans within the MOE and possibly the Kurdistan Regional Government to develop “parks” but there is no information on the status of these activities at this time.

Indicator: Institutional Capacity, Policy & Regulatory Framework

Administrative division

Environmental Institutions

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  Parliamentary Committee of Health and Environment
  
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  Ministry of Environment
  
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  Ministries and non-ministerial entities included in the Council of protection and improving the environment
  
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  Supervisory Committee on the Environment of Kurdistan Regional Government
  
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  Environmental Institutions in Kurdistan Regional Government
  
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  Environment protection and improvement sub-councils in the Governorates.
  

Iraqi national, regional, and local institutions must have the political will, clear legal mandate, and powerful regulatory mechanisms to designate and manage protected areas, species and habitat conservation, and initiate research in these areas. The central authority for biodiversity is the MOE. The ministry is made up of several directorates, offices and divisions, including the Minister, a Technical Deputy, and an Administration Deputy.

The Iraqi Ministry of Environment

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  develop and follow up of the national policy for protection and improvement of the environment and the quality of the environment
  
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  draft short, mid- and long-term environmental strategies and plans for Iraq
  
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  suggest environmental legislations, regulations, criteria, standards, guidelines, instructions and limitations
  
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  monitor the enforcement of the environmental legislation, regulations, criteria, instructions and limitations
  
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  monitor pollutants and protect the environment from pollution
  
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  biodiversity protection
  
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  raise environmental awareness
  
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  EIA/SEA procedures
  
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  promote and apply new and environmentally-friendly technologies
  
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  promote sustainable development
  
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  protect cultural-environmental sites
  
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  coordinate between governmental and non-governmental activities related to the environment
  
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  environmental regional and international relationships
  
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  international environmental conventions
  

Until 2009, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also maintained an environmental ministry that worked autonomously but at the end of 2009 the ministry was abolished and replaced with a supervisory committee that reports to the KRG’s Prime Minister’s office. Little information is available on the structure, organization or operational budget of this supervisory body. There is a military environmental force (a division of the Peshmerga) and a Forestry Police tasked with dealing with forest protection, fires, and hunting in the KRG area.

Environmental Structures within other Iraqi Ministries

Financial Resources:

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  2010 Operational Budget from Ministry of Finance: 56 Billion ID (47,922,637.16 Million USD)
  
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  2010 Investment Budget for Projects from Ministry of Planning: 25 Billion (21,394,034.45 Million USD)