The Economic Costs and Consequences of Desertification in Iraq (Published)
This paper focuses on the problem of desertification which Iraq is facing, and which is threatening its food security and affecting its social and economic development. The degrees of desertification have increased to the point where it affects %75 of the total land space of Iraq, and particularly the arable areas. This is due to several causes; some of it is caused by natural circumstances, while others are due to human activities which led to the salinization of the soil, deterioration of the plant cover and formation of sand dunes. This intensified the economic consequences in Iraq, and led to reduce of productivity. The state is burdened with large amounts of money in the reclamation of the deteriorated lands. The immigration from rural areas to cities has increased, poverty has spread and unemployment is rife. It also caused the extinction of many plant and animal species in the period 1990 – 2010. This paper indicates that the cost of combating desertification is around 10.3 – 20.5 billion dollars. This is a huge cost which affects the present and future economic situation that leads to decreases the generations in development and progress
Keywords: Desertification, Economic Costs, Iraq, Salinization