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Main existing activities and case studies for the Protection of BiodiversityThe biodiversity indicators discussed above provide a great overview of the current status of biodiversity, the related policy framework, and the need for actions and strategies to be developed as part of the NBSAP. Some of the protection measures started or planned for the protected areas will also be considered in this section as examples of biodiversity protection and a starting point for developing a national strategy. The main existing environmental laws will also be considered to assess an additional legislative process and the implementation and enforcement tools to include in the NBSAP.
A wide range of activities were carried out by UNEP in Iraq between 2003 and 2006, primarily through the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB) based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) based in Osaka and Shiga, Japan. Many activities continued into 2007 and beyond. UNEP was active in Iraq even before the 2003 conflict, but attention was particularly focused on the environmental situation during the conflict and ensuing reconstruction period, and the establishment of the Ministry of Environment provided UNEP with a key counterpart institution in its capacity-building efforts. The UNEP Iraqi Marshlands Observation System (IMOS) played a critical role in providing remote-sensing data on marshland recovery in Iraq. To support the MOE in developing capacity for environmental governance, and to address some of the key priority environmental management issues, UNEP’s interventions had the following key objectives:
As major military operations in Iraq were drawing to an end in late April 2003, UNEP published its Desk Study on the Environment in Iraq, aimed at providing a timely overview of key environmental issues in the context of the recent conflict. The UNEP "support for Environmental Management of the Iraqi Marshland" commenced in August 2004, in order to respond to the Iraqi priorities in the Marshland area in an environmentally sound manner. The UNEP project aims to support the sustainable management and restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands, by facilitating strategy formulation, monitoring marsh conditions, raising capacity of Iraqi decision makers, and providing water, sanitation, and wetland management options on a pilot basis. The first phase of the project (Phase I) was funded through the UNDG Iraq Trust Fund in 2004, with earmarked contributions from the Government of Japan. In 2006, the project was extended with additional bilateral funding from the Government of Italy and the Government of Japan (Phase II-A and II-B). The project also received a funding pledge from the Government of Japan that allowed it to proceed to Phase III in 2007 and 2008, with the official completion in 2009. The UNDP conducts a Local Area Development Program (LADP) as part of a joint initiative with seven agencies designed to improve living conditions and contribute to sustainable poverty reduction in the areas (Sulaymaniyah, Babylon and the Marshlands). According to the UNDP website 12.8% of the funding for the project is spent on Agriculture & Environment and 8% on projects related to culture and traditions. A new UNEP-UNESCO project launched in July of 2009 focused on the “Natural and Cultural Management of the Iraqi Marshlands as World Heritage.” This is funded by the Italian Government through the UNDG Iraq Trust Fund. This project has four components: 1) Preservation and Management Plan Development towards World Heritage Inscription; 2) Preservation and Management Plan Implementation; 3) Capacity Building and Raising Awareness, and 4) International Cooperation to build support for the conservation and management of the Iraqi Marshlands heritage. The project is currently on-going (UNEP-UNESCO, 2010).
Many biodiversity-related activities have been carried out in Iraq or are still in progress by the New Eden Group. The Group was sponsored by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) and is a joint venture under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IMELS, MoE; MoWR, Iraqi Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works (MoMPW), and NI. The project team has received technical assistance from a variety of other organizations and local Iraqi consulting firms. Proposed Marshland National ParkPriority is given to the Mesopotamian marshland restoration, research, and monitoring as well as the international importance this area has had as a wintering ground for many Eurasian bird species. It is suggested as at least one priority strategy for biodiversity conservation and possible sustainable use of resources is the development of a National Park in this area. The proposed Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park has several components and ongoing projects, which are carried out as activities of the New Eden Group:
As mentioned above, the national park has not yet been finalized and remains only a proposal. Major problems of implementation and challenges for future development for this project are mainly: water availability; stakeholders outreach and involvement; jurisdictional disputes; lack of legislation; difficulties in the legislative process; difficulty in raising awareness; funding availability; capacity building and training of park staff for enforcement; drafting and implementation of the Park management plan. Hawizeh Ramsar siteThe development of the Hawizeh Marshlands (Ramsar Site) Management Plan has been an important biodiversity-related activity that was developed as part of the New Eden Group initiatives. The main problems for implementing the effective protection of the Ramsar site are: lack of implementation of the (draft) management plan; lack of continuous water availability; jurisdictional problems; need of specific legislation to protect the area; the building of an embankment by the Iranian government that has stopped water from entering the marshes and has dramatically changed the hydrological asset of the marshes; oil well development in the southern part of the marshes and use of the marshes’ water for oil extraction activities. Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) ProjectOne of the important activities of the New Eden Group is the KBA Project that has taken place in Iraq starting from 2004. The main objectives and activities carried out have already been discussed in Chapter I and section II.1.1. above. The main problems of implementation and future challenges for this project are related with capacity, lack of historical data, restricted access to sites due to security, and the difficulties in finding funding resources. Other New Eden Group Strategies and InitiativesBesides the New Eden Master Plan for Integrated Water Resource Management in the Marshland Areas, the proposed Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park, the assistance for the development of the Hawizeh Marshlands Management Plan (Ramsar Site), and the KBA Project, there are currently other activities under of the New Eden Group:
With the active help of the WHO and of the Environment and Health Committee of the parliament and representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the IMoE held meetings in April and November of 2009 to define a “National Environmental Strategy”. This National Strategy adresses various environmental concerns and includes the protection of Iraq’s biodiversity as a core component. The Iraqi institutions involved in developing the Strategy included the Iraqi Ministries of Environment, Municipalities and Public Works, Agriculture, Health, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Interior (GD of Traffic), Oil, Planning and Development Cooperation, Industry, Water Resources, Electricity, Labor and Social Affairs – National Center of Professional Health and Safety, various ministries and entities from Kurdistan Regional Government, the Baghdad Municipality, and one NGO, NI. Unfortunately, the strategy has not yet been implemented.
USAID operates Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) with the U.S. Military throughout Iraq. These teams are focused primarily quick response aid and support of governance, development, and humanitarian aid issues. They support several projects related to sustainable development and the environment, such as the proposed Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park. The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961 contains several sections that require that USAID funded projects take into account the impact of foreign assistance programs and projects on the environment, natural resources, and endangered species. Some of the USAID funded projects operating in Iraq that to a greater or lesser degree may have some involvement or repercussions for the environment and biodiversity include: the Local Governance Program (LGP); Iraq Community-based Conflict Mitigation (ICCM); Community Action Program (CAP); Iraq Legislative Strengthening Program; Community Stabilization Program (CSP); Economic Governance II (EGII); Private Sector Development (Tijara); Agribusiness Project (Inma), and National Capacity Development for Public Managment (Tatweer).
In addition to the above activities other broadly-scoped strategies related to biodiversity that have been initiated by outside agencies and parties with Iraqi partnerships have included the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative (CIMI), which originally initiated the KBA Project and the World Bank, which has sponsored the Iraq Emergency Environmental Management Project (EEMP) with the MOE. The CIMI project began in 2005 and was focused on training Iraqi wetlands scientists at the University of Waterloo. The second phase started in 2007 through the Univeristy of Victoria, University of Waterloo, and the Fraser Basin Council of British Columbia. The World Bank EEMP project was at $25M project that dealt with the solid waste management and general public administration sectors. The following table provides an overview of most of the key activities and initiatives that have already begun or are proposed for Iraq at this time:
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