Iraq suffers dust storm again

Impact from dust storm made visibility at the airport in the capital Baghdad of Iraq and the city of Najaf dropped below 500 m, causing many flights to be delayed due to poor visibility. Flights will resume when weather conditions improve.

The Iraqi meteorological agency predicts that this phenomenon will continue until the end of today 2/5.

In April, Iraq saw many such storms, causing many flights to be canceled and many people hospitalized for breathing problems. According to the Iraqi Meteorological Office, this weather phenomenon is due to drought, Desertification and reduced rainfall.

Most recently, on April 9, the Iraqi Ministry of Health said that a dust storm had swept through much of the country, sending dozens of people to the hospital due to respiratory problems. The storm formed in northern Iraq two days earlier, prompting aviation authorities to cancel many flights to Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region in the country, to ensure safety.

A large dust storm made landfall and raged in many localities of Iraq. (Photo: The Canberra Times)

As it swept through southern Iraq, the dust storm affected the capital Baghdad and more distant cities like Nasiriyah, casting an orange dust over them. According to Iraqi Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr, dozens of people have been hospitalized due to respiratory problems.

In early April, an environment ministry official warned that Iraq could experience 272 dusty days a year for decades to come. This climate phenomenon can be tackled by increasing planting of forest trees to block the wind.

Iraq is a very vulnerable country to climate change, having seen record low rainfall and high temperatures in recent years. The above factors threaten to cause social and economic disaster.

In recent years, rainfall in Iraq has dropped to record lows, while temperatures have risen. According to weather experts, these factors are threatening the economic and social development of Iraq. In November 2021, the World Bank estimated that, by 2050, climate change would reduce Iraq’s water reserves by up to 20%.

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