Located in the East Mediterranean region, Iraq has a land area of about 435 052 km2 and is divided into four main geographical regions: the Mountainous region, the Undulating region, the Desert plateau, and the Sedimentary plain (1). Iraq’s economy depends largely on oil, which accounts for around 60% of its national GDP (2,3). The Iraqi population has significantly increased in recent decades, with the vast majority living in urban areas, which has led to more informal settlements on the outskirts of cities (1).
Iraq’s climate varies between Mediterranean, steppe and warm desert climate (1). As a country located in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Iraq is vulnerable to climate change due to its arid and semi-arid conditions (4). Increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns have led to recurrent droughts, desertification and more frequent sand storms (4,5,6). Moreover, climate change exposes countries of the MENA region to sea level rise, particularly those with deltaic areas (Tigris–Euphrates delta) as in Iraq (4). Such climatic changes pose significant health risks, including heat stress, foodborne diseases, waterborne diseases, respiratory diseases and malnutrition (1).
The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Iraq seeks to mitigate 14% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, compared with their ‘business as usual’ scenario. Agriculture, water and health are identified as some of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change in the NDC (7).
