Updating Iraq’s National Environmental Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP)

October 18, 2022

 

A country’s national environmental strategy is a set of initiatives designed to reduce the country’s negative impact on the natural environment, such as reducing energy and oil consumption, and aiming to increase the dependency on sustainable resources and renewable energy.

Iraq’s most recent National Environmental Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP) was drafted in 2013 and aimed at framing the environmental work since. However, the war against ISIL started in the beginning of 2014 and the land liberation process lasted until the end of 2017, just during the proposed time for the NESAP to be put into action. With the current situation in Iraq being more stable, along with the strong commitments that Iraq has made to tackle climate and environment issues, it is now time to launch a new NESAP for Iraq.

Through The Ministry of Environment (MoEn), UNDP is supporting the Government of Iraq in updating its current strategy with the funding of US Aid and via a series of consultative workshops in October and November 2022. In order to explore the sectoral ministries' plans to update the environmental strategy based on their particular goals and in alignment with the national context, UNDP has offered a scoping mission1 for the experts on environmental strategy.

In addition to the significant hit the Covid-19 pandemic caused the Iraqi environmental sector to suffer, Iraq has also made commitments to the UNFCCC and the Paris Accord through the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)2, all of which has made it a necessity for the MoEn to update the environmental strategy starting in 2023 and lasting through 2028.

 

 

 

In order to verify the data gathered as provided by the MoEn, and to compare it to what was formally published online by sectoral ministries, UNDP is drafting the baseline report for the updated environmental strategy and for discussion and consultation with sectoral ministries representatives (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Planning and other stakeholders), as well as those from The General Secretariat for the Council of Ministries and the Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement in Kurdistan Region.

During the discussion, consensus of the participants was sought on the baseline report, the table of contents and the general format of the new environmental strategy.

A new environmental strategy means a renewed commitment to the environmental work that aligns with the national and international priorities and the NDC and would accelerate Iraq’s transition to a more environmentally resilient country for the coming years, in its different sectors.

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1 A scoping mission’s objective is to allow experts to assess the local context and to verify the provided data.

2 The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is the plan to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. It is submitted every 5 years to the United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat. All countries that join the Paris Agreement are required to communicate and maintain their climate actions and the contributions they intend to achieve regarding reduction of emissions of Green House Gases.