This document discusses the challenges of combating climate change in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It outlines the causes and effects of climate change globally and analyzes the current climate situation in the KRG region. Some of the key challenges facing climate action in the KRG include a lack of environmental awareness, unstable political issues, financial crises, and low quality of local climate data. The document recommends that universities focus more on climate change research and hold green workshops to increase awareness and involvement of the community in addressing this urgent issue.

1. Combating Climate Change in
Kurdistan Regional Iraq: Challenges
and Obstacles
Hawkar Ali Abdulhaq
MSc Earth Science Engineering
Teaching and Laboratory Assistant
07 Mar 2019

2. Outline
• What is climate change? Causes and effects.
• Why does climate change matter?
• Current Situation in KRG.
• Challenges and Obstacles.
• Conclusion and recommendation
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3. Bio
• Hawkar Ali Abdulhaq
• BSc degree in Geology - University of Salahaddin in 2011.
• Exploration Geologist in MOL Kalegran from 2011 to 2017.
• MSc in Earth Science Engineering - University of Miskolc (Hungary) in 2017.
• Teaching and laboratory Assistant – NREM department (SSE)
• Earth Science activist – Author of “Westgay X”.
• President of World Merit Kurdistan organization (2018).
• Founder of the Earth Science Platform.
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4. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Weather Vs Climate
Climate Atmospheric conditions
(temperature, rainfall, etc…) of a region over
a long period of time.
4
Weather Atmospheric conditions
(temperature, rainfall, etc…) at a specific
point in time.
Koppen climate classification for 1901-2010

5. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Global average temperature
• Green House gases
5https://climate.nasa.gov/ 0° F = -17.7°C

6. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Green house gases (Cause)
https://climate.nasa.gov/ 6

7. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Global warming
skepticalscience.com 7American ThinkersCurrent temperature of Planet Earth 14.9°C

8. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Melting ice caps
• Sea level rise
8
https://climate.nasa.gov/
Sea level

9. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Extreme weather events
https://www.skepticalscience.com
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10. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Ocean acidification
• Marine heat waves
NOAH (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 10
“The researchers found that marine heatwaves
have increased by more than 50 percent since
the mid-20th centaury, and are becoming
more severe, prolonged, and frequent!” IFL
Science
Nature.com (Nature climate change)

11. What is climate change? Causes and effect.
• Irreversible situation
phys.org
The outcome will be:
1. Release methane gas from permafrost.
2. Vanishing arctic and Greenland snow.
11Albedo ratio is measured on a scale from 0 (black) to 1 (white)

12. Why does climate change matter?
• Mass extinction The Anthropocene extinction
The Sixth extinction or Anthropocene extinction, is the ongoing
extinction event of species during the present Holocene epoch,
mainly as a result of human activity.
World Economic Forum
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13. Why does climate change matter?
• Impact on human Health
• Rising temperature
• More Extreme Weather
• Increase CO2 Levels
• Rising Sea Level
cdc.gov (centers for disease control and preservation) 13

14. Why does climate change matter?
• Economic Impact
European Environmental Agency 14World Economic Forum

15. Why does climate change matter?
• Water conflict
• National security and Military action
European Commission’s Joint Research Centre 15

16. Current Situation in KRG
• Positive side
• Water resources
• Vegetation cover
Directorate of Dams and Reservoir of Kurdistan Regional Government 16reliefweb.int

17. Current Situation in KRG
• Positive side
• Water resources
• Green area
• Demographic sustainability
Iraq Population (2019): 40,012,443
KRG (2017): 5,755,000 (Gov.krd)
http://worldpopulationreview.com 17

18. Current Situation in KRG
• Negative side
• Extreme weather events.
• Floods
• Heat waves
• Sandstorm
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19. Current Situation in KRG
• Negative side
• Extreme weather events.
• Air pollution.
A map of air pollution by CO in Erbil City (Shwan et al., 2018)
http://landscape.geo.klte.hu 19

20. Current Situation in KRG
• Negative side
• Extreme weather events.
• Air pollution.
• Deforestation.
Kurdistan's mountains face deforestation
because of kerosene shortages
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21. Current Situation in KRG
• Negative side
• Extreme weather events.
• Air pollution.
• Deforestation.
• Very low quality of Public transportation in
the cities.
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22. Challenges and Obstacles
• The absence of immediate action
Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Knowledge Range
Road to Climate Action
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23. Challenges and Obstacles
• Mitigation will be extremely difficult Without immediate action.
Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Knowledge Range
Road to Climate Action
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Mitigation will be extremely
difficult Without immediate
action

24. Challenges and Obstacles
• “Iraq is in dire need of environmental awareness. Environmental
education is absent among the Iraqi people, whose dangerous behaviors
are majorly affecting the environment,” Nader Abdallah, a professor of
environmental studies at the University of Babylon, told Al-Monitor.
Meta Ignorant Lack of Method Lack of Awareness Lack of Knowledge Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Ignorant Range Knowledge Range
Road to Climate ActionNegative climate action
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Consuming
extra energy
Deforestation Overpopulation
Lack of public
transportation

25. Challenges and Obstacles
• Unstable political issues
Meta Ignorant Lack of Method Lack of Awareness Lack of Knowledge Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Ignorant Range Knowledge Range
Road to Climate ActionNegative climate action
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26. Challenges and Obstacles
• Financial crises
Meta Ignorant Lack of Method Lack of Awareness Lack of Knowledge Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Ignorant Range Knowledge Range
Road to Climate ActionNegative climate action
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27. Challenges and Obstacles
• Very low quality and quantity of local statistical data about impacting
climate change on KRI.
Meta Ignorant Lack of Method Lack of Awareness Lack of Knowledge Lack of Ignorant
Presence of
Awareness
Presence of Method
Presence of
real Action
Ignorant Range Knowledge Range
Road to Climate ActionNegative climate action
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28. Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
• Climate change is a global threat to humanity and the ecosystem.
• Climate change is happening and it is affecting all the countries in a
different way.
• Immediate action is required for combating climate change.
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29. Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
• Climate change is a global threat to humanity and the ecosystem.
• Climate change is happening and it is affecting all the countries in a
different way.
• Immediate action is required for combating climate change.
Recommendation to UKH
In terms of research, focus more on climate change.
Green workshops (Involving the Media, KRG, NGOs and community).
Involving the students (Community).
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30. Thanks for listening…
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