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KIRKUK, Iraq - The city of Kirkuk is suffering from low levels of vegetation, the federal government’s environment agency warns, adding that only four percent of the city is covered in green space.
In addition to the environmental crisis, a large number of the city's newly built neighborhoods suffer from a lack of very basic services, including the Barutkhana quarter.
Abdulrahman Sabir has taken matters into his own hands, creating a little garden in front of his house, and planting multiple trees himself.
"We do not have a sidewalk, a street, and a garden in this area. How to plant trees? Our alley is too narrow and has not received any services. Before we planted trees here, our situation was terrible. Whenever there would be wind, dust and litter would almost blind us," Sabir said.
There are three environmental organizations in the city of Kirkuk. They claim that neither the government nor locals contribute to planting trees and expanding the city's green space. To make matters worse, locals also cut down trees.
"In the name of projects or any other purposes, people resort to cutting down trees. Despite that, there is a growing trend among people who raise livestock inside the alleys of the city," Hemin Qasim, a member of the Green Organization in Kirkuk, told Rudaw.
He added that "there is a massive degree of negligence done by local authorities against the neighborhoods of Shorijah, Panja Ali, Barutkhana, and Kurdistan."
Kirkuk city is surrounded by oilfields and industrial areas.
The lack of green space is seen as a key factor behind the rise of viruses, pollution, and the spread of cancer.
"Green space is very, very important for the safe health of the people. The more green space you have, the less number of diseases recorded, especially breathing difficulties, lung diseases, and cancer," Darya Mohammed, a cancer expert physician said.
Despite alleged efforts from the local Kirkuk authorities for the past three years, green space has not seen any development in the city.
In addition to the environmental crisis, a large number of the city's newly built neighborhoods suffer from a lack of very basic services, including the Barutkhana quarter.
Abdulrahman Sabir has taken matters into his own hands, creating a little garden in front of his house, and planting multiple trees himself.
"We do not have a sidewalk, a street, and a garden in this area. How to plant trees? Our alley is too narrow and has not received any services. Before we planted trees here, our situation was terrible. Whenever there would be wind, dust and litter would almost blind us," Sabir said.
There are three environmental organizations in the city of Kirkuk. They claim that neither the government nor locals contribute to planting trees and expanding the city's green space. To make matters worse, locals also cut down trees.
"In the name of projects or any other purposes, people resort to cutting down trees. Despite that, there is a growing trend among people who raise livestock inside the alleys of the city," Hemin Qasim, a member of the Green Organization in Kirkuk, told Rudaw.
He added that "there is a massive degree of negligence done by local authorities against the neighborhoods of Shorijah, Panja Ali, Barutkhana, and Kurdistan."
Kirkuk city is surrounded by oilfields and industrial areas.
The lack of green space is seen as a key factor behind the rise of viruses, pollution, and the spread of cancer.
"Green space is very, very important for the safe health of the people. The more green space you have, the less number of diseases recorded, especially breathing difficulties, lung diseases, and cancer," Darya Mohammed, a cancer expert physician said.
Despite alleged efforts from the local Kirkuk authorities for the past three years, green space has not seen any development in the city.
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