Research roundtable "Common environmental challenges of Iran and Iraq"

The joint roundtable of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bahr al-Uloom Institute of Iraq on the topic of "Common environmental challenges of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq" was held with the presence of Dr. Mohammad Hassan Shaykh al-Islami, the president of the Institute, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloom, the head of the Bahr al-Uloom Institute, and Jassim Fallahi, the Deputy Minister of Environment of Iraq, Misagh Abdul Hossein Al-Khafaji, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Iraq and Niazi Shahraki, Deputy Minister of Water and Soil of the Ministry of Agriculture, and some managers, specialized institutions and organizations and specialists on October 15 and 16, 2023.

The joint roundtable of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bahr al-Uloom Institute of Iraq on the topic of "Common environmental challenges of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq" was held with the presence of Dr. Mohammad Hassan Shaykh al-Islami, the president of the Institute, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloom, the head of the Bahr al-Uloom Institute, and Jassim Fallahi, the Deputy Minister of Environment of Iraq, Misagh Abdul Hossein Al-Khafaji, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Iraq and Niazi Shahraki, Deputy Minister of Water and Soil of the Ministry of Agriculture, and some managers, specialized institutions and organizations and specialists on October 15 and 16, 2023.

At the beginning of the opening ceremony, Shaykh al-Islami, the president of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated the proud operation of the Palestinian groups in Gaza and condemned the crimes of the Zionist regime, called this meeting a valuable opportunity to exchange opinions and experiences of the two countries to develop and strengthen the relations between the two countries of Iran and Iraq. He emphasized that the two countries of Iran and Iraq are located in one of the most vulnerable parts of the world in terms of the destructive effects of climate change. Therefore, identifying the areas of emergence and expansion of environmental challenges and threats, including global warming, requires expanding regional cooperation and interactions.

Furthermore, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloom also pointed to the glorious victories of the resistance front in the recent operations in Gaza and said that establishing an international joint center is necessary to advance joint plans to deal with the environmental challenges of Iran, Iraq, and the region. The head of the Bahr al-Uloom Institute stated that environmental challenges can be considered as one of the global issues that Iran and Iraq have suffered a lot in this field. The academic and scientific capacities of the two countries should be used to provide a solution to overcome these challenges.

Jassim Fallahi, the Deputy Minister of Environment of Iraq, also stated that dealing with climate change and its effects requires serious efforts and regional and bilateral cooperation between countries. In this regard, Iraq is seriously determined to solve environmental problems at all levels and has put strategies in this field on the agenda. Abdul Hossein Al-Khafaji, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Iraq, also stated that the environmental challenges in the entire region are interconnected, and the solution will be through regional and international cooperation. He considered the two issues of food security and water security as two important priorities for countries in the region, including Iran and Iraq.

After the opening ceremony, this meeting was held in four panels with the topics of "Destructive effects of climate on the two countries of Iran and Iraq," "Common water resources and pollution," "Sand and dust storms," and "Water shortage" with the presence of researchers, managers and experts in the relevant fields. The Iranian and Iraqi sides, with a common understanding of the environmental challenges in the mentioned fields, emphasized the need for a continuous exchange of views and the implementation of joint initiatives between the two countries in the direction of the management and reduction of environmental challenges.