DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — A man in Duhok province was arrested by Peshmerga forces two weeks ago for cutting down 1,000 oak trees, including some over 100 years old.

"This is no longer a forest, it has become a graveyard," said Dr Hassan Najman, a forestry professor from the University of Duhok. "There are only 70 to 80 kinds of oak trees in Duhok and the Kurdistan Region, it’s not much. If they are cut down, there will be none left in the near future."

The man, who is said to have sold the wood at markets, was arrested by the Peshmerga Environment Command.

"We arrested a man here who used to cut down trees using a chainsaw. He left them here for two to three weeks and used to come and ask for permission to collect the wood. He used to trick the all the authorities," said Commander Ramazan Siyari.

According to studies by Duhok University, there are two million dunams of forests in Duhok.

However, they are under serious threat of deforestation.


Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed

Rudaw