Al Anbār

Arbīl

Al Başrah

Bābil

Baghdād

Dahūk

Diyālá

Dhī Qār

Karbalā’

Kirkūk

Herêm-î Kurdistan

Maysān

Al Muthanná

An Najaf

Nīnawá

Al Qādisīyah

Şalāḩ ad Dīn

As Sulaymānīyah

Wāsiţ

Iraq

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Iraq is among the Middle East’s most climate-vulnerable countries, experiencing prolonged droughts, extreme heatwaves, dust storms, water scarcity, and seawater intrusion. These risks disproportionately affect southern governorates (Basrah, Qadissiyah, Thi-Qar), where smallholder farmers heavily depend on irrigated agriculture. Climate change will exacerbate the region's food insecurity, poverty, and instability without urgent intervention.

This project will enable smallholder farmers and vulnerable households in southern Iraq to withstand climate shocks better and secure their livelihoods. It introduces efficient irrigation and water harvesting techniques, including drip systems, solar-powered pumps, and rooftop rainwater harvesting to address severe water scarcity. Farmers will diversify into stress-tolerant crops and vegetables while adopting climate-smart practices such as greenhouse tunnels, which extend the growing season and reduce exposure to extreme heat and salinity. Livelihood diversification will be promoted by supporting kitchen gardens, small-scale agro-processing, and other value chain opportunities, particularly targeting women and youth. These interventions will increase household income, enhance food security, and reduce migration pressures from rural communities.

The project will also strengthen the enabling environment for climate adaptation by improving the capacity of local institutions and service providers. Climate information services and decision-support tools will be upgraded to provide timely and actionable advice, and extension agents and government staff will receive specialised training in water management, climate-smart agriculture and resilience planning to ensure technical knowledge is accessible and available at the local level. Finally, knowledge exchange platforms will be established to capture lessons learned and facilitate replication of successful practices across other vulnerable regions of Iraq, contributing to long-term resilience building.

Iraq faces critical climate hazards such as rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and reduced water availability from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. These challenges are compounded by poor water management and soil salinity, severely impacting the country’s agricultural productivity. Local farming communities in the governorates of Najaf, Karbala, and Muthanna are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on irrigation and limited adaptive capacity.

The project aims to strengthen the climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural households in Iraq, focusing on water efficiency through modern irrigation infrastructure and the empowerment of Water User Associations (WUAs), promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices, and supporting the development of policies for water and energy management and renewable energy systems such as solar-powered irrigation.

Permanent changes in Iraq will involve transformative reforms in agricultural water management policies, improved irrigation technologies, and widespread integration of renewable energy solutions. These changes will foster a more sustainable and climate-resilient water management and agricultural practice, contributing to the country’s long-term food security and economic stability. The project will also promote gender equity by empowering women as key change agents, fostering inclusive and sustainable community development.

To enhance the resilience of Anbar's ecosystems by restoring and conserving key biodiversity areas, and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management into land use policies, strategies and practices

To support forty-three (43) developing countries to prepare and submit Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) and National Communications (NCs) that comply with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)/Paris Agreement (PA) reporting requirements; and respond to their national development goals.

Geography

Iraq

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