Kurdistan: Nation & Nature
The 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) has recently been announced by Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with World Economic Forum (WEF) and which reflects the global efforts by 132 governments for a range of pollution control and natural resources management challenges. The report ranks countries on 22 performance indicators spanning ten policies categories reflecting facets of environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. These countries are ranked on the change of their environmental performance over the last decade. A list of top 10 trend performances includes Switzerland, Latvia, Norway, Luxembourg, while among the bottom 10 trend performances are Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iraq! Accordingly, Kurdistan which is the northern part of modern Iraq is ranked 132 with the lowest score of EPI (25.3), compared with Latvia with score of 70.4. We have to admit in pain that this is sad news for the people of Kurdistan whose ancestors are often praised as “The First Flower People” and “The First Class Students of Nature”.
According to Henk Verhood, both in connection with a healthy body and a healthy environment, there is a trust in healing power of nature itself. This is not far from traditional health-care of sustainable society in Kurdistan over millennia. And yet, we appear to have lost a critical connection to nature that would have allowed our forefathers to recognise imminent dangers. They had already realized that nature is the real home, and relevant environment is the basis upon which every society is formed and prospered. Whenever we damage our real home and its fragile environment, we damage ourselves. In accordance with our historic values of Zarathustra and Sufism, respect for surrounding environment and nature is therefore essential. In agrarian society like that of Kurdistan, and which has been trapped into urban life in the last half century, the social-economic shocks seem deep enough as to endanger its cultural identity (Gulan 848). Alas the destruction of Kurdistan by bygone regime according to our declaration in the Environmental Conference of 2009 in Copenhagen was a total destruction, men & nature (Gulan 834). And until recently there was no clear policy for rural development that addressed socio-economic complexities of the mass demographic deportation in Kurdistan. In addition the interaction between the social aspects of the deportation and the environmental aspects are militating against stabilizing the labour resources in the countryside and areas of farming activities. According to our “Master Plan” of 2005 for rural development, the imbalance between urban and rural development is a major challenge, and it can be tackled through “Villagisation Programme” and “Re-forestation Programme” and all towards sustainable solutions based upon reviving our traditional agrarian socio-economy.
The Earth is finite: it has a limited stock of renewable fuels, minerals, and biological resources, a limited throughput of energy from the sun, and a finite sink of processing wastes. Hitherto global efforts directed towards achieving the first objective of “Environmental Health” are categorized in tackling child mortality, indoor air pollution, access to sanitation, and access to drinking water. In fact, Indoor air pollution either in work or home is a problem that is not surveyed as yet in Kurdistan, whilst hygiene-chemicals used indoor are not under controlled by local quality control. Relevant data about workers subjected to indoor pollution are not available. And the dangers of smoking and that of passive smoking within local families and the working staff have not been tackled properly. To that end, quality control in Kurdistan is still lacking an effective authority. According to recent report by FAO, Poor water and sanitation remain a major cause of preventable malnutrition and excess mortality in Iraq. Rate of child mortality below 5 years age for every 1000 born is still high in Iraq, but it is improving in Kurdistan. Prior recommendations from (WHO) and other agencies have called for the release of funds to rehabilitate the water and sanitation system including water treatment plants, distribution networks, and sewage disposal systems. Surveillance of drinking water for bacteriological and chemical contamination needs to be strengthened through the upgrading of laboratories and the training of personnel. Verily, the transition occurred during the last few decades in Kurdistan from rural to urban lifestyles; albeit with less human motion in the cities and more intolerance, sensitivities, and allergies to air-&-water pollution, heavy food & untested food ingredients, is most responsible for chronic diseases. At large, environment related diseases are on rise in the whole of Iraq and though do need more data-based confirmation, health problems are among the main challenges for low productivity. In short, the status quo situation would call for a clear policy.
A simple definition of sustainability since introduced in 1980 by Lester Brown is: achievement of a balance between human impacts and the capacity of natural world that can be sustained indefinitely, taking into account three independent elements, the environment, the economy and the social system. In our attempts to recover our health, people of Kurdistan have become more reliant on health-care system that is dominated by the use of patent pharmaceutical drugs, the like that human bodies have never been exposed, save for in the last few decades. The adoption of sustainable health-care will greatly encourage preventative approaches to health-care, those that based on nutrition and lifestyle changes, and those that are compatible with biological systems, both within and outside the body. Hence, Kurdistan needs a policy for health-care that can integrate and sustain the health of nature with that of nation. The policy was already articulated during the sixth cabinet and in wait for submission by the coming government to the Regional Presidency for final approval (Gulan 866). Further, the implementation of the policy has to be supervised by “High Commission” for sustainable management of natural resources at large and in order to avoid the deterioration of stock natural capital of air, water and surface soil in Kurdistan. Bear in mind that more than 1 million hectares of the natural forests of Iraq which confined almost entirely to its northeast region have severely damaged during the last century.
Strategically, regional efforts in Kurdistan have to be directed towards an avoidance of any future social-economic shocks and/or environmental damages beyond repair. Further, as the 21st century is predicted to be a century of global disasters, the suggested “High Commission” and in collaboration with local quality control, has to embark on working out a relevant “Emergency Response Plan”. And a transition of health-care policy will require improved allocation of funding of independent research in academic institutions, extensive public and government-targeted awareness campaigns and the establishment of scientifically monitoring pilot programmes on this endeavour. Sustainable development would urge for wise management of natural resources that can secure their reservation and protection for next generations. We need to plan where homes and businesses are built and where-&-how public services are delivered. And yet, the cited above efforts cannot reach its final objectives without political commitment along with relevant supports & incentives that are ultimately working for promotion of public awareness towards pro-environment attitudes and based on revival of traditional approaches and philosophy of people of Kurdistan (Gulan 848). Here, it is very important that both prime & advanced educations be augmented with sustainability development concepts. And communal and individual responsibilities should be outlined within the over-rule of family and mother at home in rising up the coming generation (Gulan 866). Further, orientation of the public can also be implemented in mosques, churches, clubs, and NGOs. And the on-going plan; with the European transfer of knowledge, for “The Halgurd-Sakran National Park” is just an ambitious attempt on this endeavour. The main aim is to regain the balance and all towards prosperities and co-existence of nation & nature in Kurdistan.


Dr. Anwar A. Abdullah
Ex-Senior Advisor
Office of Prime Minister
Sustainable Development
2004-2011