Iraq is very lightly forested with less than one-half percent forest and other woodland cover. Forests are largely confined to the north of the country, particularly along the Turkish border and in the Zagros Mountains in the north-east. The majority of forests are closed broad-leaved forests, mainly of oak with Quercus aegilops the predominant variety. Many of these forests are reported to be degraded through over-cutting and overgrazing. Other common broad-leaved species include hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) and maple (Acer spp.). Areas of coniferous forest are dominated by Pinus brutia. Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) are grown in many locations. Iraq has a modest area of, mainly Populus spp., plantations. Little, if any, forest is in Iraq's very modest network of protected areas. Modest volumes of wood are burned as fuel in Iraq. The country also produces a small volume of industrial roundwood for agricultural purposes and as sawn timber. Most wood and paper products are imported although Iraq also produces a small volume of paper products. Verified data are currently unavailable on the presence or significance of non-wood forest products in Iraq.
According to the National Forestry Report of Iraq to the Near East Forestry Commission in 1998, the State Company of the Horticulture and Forests (Ministry of Agriculture) has the responsibility of managing the forests in the country. This company has been established to substitute the Government of Iraq which was no more able to support economically the sector.
According to the report, natural forests composed mainly with Quercus aegylops, Q. infectoria and Q. libani with some Acer sp., Ulmus sp., Pistacia therebinthus, Juglans sp., Prunus sp., Crataegus azarolus, Pistacia vera, Juniperus sp., Pinus sp., and Populus sp. and riverine forests with Populus euphratica and Salix spp. cover a total area of 1 730 000 ha (which is very different from FRA 2000: 799 000 ha). Plantations of Eucalyptus spp., Casuarina equisetifolia, Pinus spp., Acacia spp. Populus spp. and Tamarix spp. cover 35 000 ha. All these forests are endangered by wild fires and overgrazing. They produce a source of income for rural people (fuel-wood, charcoal, round wood) as well as for carpentry and raw material for cellulose industry. The State Company of the Horticulture and Forests plan to concentrate on afforestation with forest tree varieties with high economical value. In 1974, four protected areas were established to preserve wild animals. Moufflon (wild mountain sheep), Dama and Mountain goats were re-introduced. Iraq wetlands are important for many migrating birds from northern and eastern Europe.
The most recent sources of information are constituted by the reports of the Forestry and Rangeland expert in the Oil-for-Food Programme, and by the FRA 2000 Project reports. The former reports concentrate on the three northern Governorates.
The FRA 2000 Project has implemented this 1999 survey (through a consultation) which gives for the total country an area of natural forests and other wooded lands of 2,023,300 ha and 10,195 ha of forest plantations.
The inaccurate forestry data show the weaknesses of the monitoring system. For instance, no data are available on protected areas, wildlife and biodiversity. The main information is descriptive and not quantitative.
The area of intervention has been up to now northern Iraq with special focus on land degradation and resource depletion on watershed. Activities have been aiming at restoring forest and tree formations, range rehabilitation and improvement and watershed management. Basic operations to support these interventions were nursery establishment and management, soil work to improve water intake on degraded natural forests and scattered trees and direct plantations establishment.
Results as reviewed are encouraging especially on what concerns the rehabilitation of watersheds.
The proposed strategy to address the forestry sub-sector in Iraq should follow the main lines of the FAO Forestry Strategy (priority actions are stated in bold and italics):
Information
- Recovery of the technical knowledge and information management;
- Design or reinforcement of a forest planning and monitoring service;
- Orientation and design or reinforcement of a forest data base system;
- Design or reinforcement of a forest inventory service.
National forest policies
- Design and implementation of a national forest programme.
Forest resource conservation and development
- assessment of available forest and range resources (including natural stands and plantations);
- assessment of wildlife and protected areas;
- assessment of the goods and services needs by the population;
- outlook of land use needs;
- design and implementation of multiple use forest management plans following the participatory approach and promoting people's initiative for natural forest management and plantations (either private individuals' initiatives or community or initiatives) for:
- rural energy (firewood, charcoal) (for self consumption or cash income);
- fodder (controlled grazing);
- timber (for infrastructure and human settlements reconstruction);
- non-wood forest and trees products;
- erosion control (watershed management, windbreaks);
- soil fertility restoration/preservation;
- cattle contention and land ownership marking;
- amenity plantations.
Forest health and condition
- design or reinforcement of a forest protection service;
- reinforcement of the participation of Iraq in the Forest fire management research network of Silva Mediterranea.
Institutional legal and financial frameworks
- Review of the present institutional legal and financial frameworks.
Regional and international collaboration
- Iraq is a member of the Near East Forestry Commission: Promotion and support to its participation.
- Iraq is a member of Silva Mediterranea: Promotion and support to its participation.
- Promotion of the participation of Iraq in the three UN Conventions CCD, CBD and Climate change.
- Iraq participated in the first meeting of the Low Forest Cover Countries' initiative (LFCC); promotion and support to its participation in the Tehran Process.
Partnership with other groups
- Promotion of collaboration of the forestry sector with national, regional and international institutions working in this sector or other related sectors as well as with the private sector and NGOs.
The key issues to be addressed, ranked in order of importance include:
promoting people's initiative for natural forest management and plantations for rural energy (firewood, charcoal);
promoting an integrated forest and ranching management and fodder production (in and outside forests);
watershed management;
promotion of agro forestry techniques and restocking of ligneous vegetation;
wildlife and protected areas sustainable management.
capacity building;
multiple use forest management plans;
forest plantations;
watershed management; and
integrated sustainable development strategy (including agro-silvo-pastoralism).
Technical information gaps. Very little reliable technical information exists. The recovery of the technical knowledge and an information management system are most needed. Forest planning, monitoring, data base and forest inventory services should be designed and/or reinforced. In addition, technical needs assessment should be also carried out:
assessment of the needs for national capacity building;
assessment of the present status of forest management;
assessment of the population needs of forest goods and services; and
assessment of the needs for linking different sub-sectors (agriculture, range, forestry, environment,...).
Population needs within the forthcoming situation. The main population needs for goods and services provided by trees and forests during the next war and post war periods will be energy (fuelwood and charcoal) for heating houses and settlements and cooking food, as well as service wood for building these settlements. This question should be taken into account from the very beginning of the planning exercise for supporting displaced people. Any refugee camp establishment team should include a forester in its staff, for the planning of the management of natural or planted forest resources, in the vicinity of the camp.
