From 30 November until 12 December, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP28, took place at the Expo City, Dubai. The 28th conference, it has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement in 1992, and is intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
On December 9, HCSS strategic analyst Irina Patrahau moderated a panel discussion “The Climate-Extremism Nexus in Iraq: Challenges and Opportunities for Peacebuilding”. The event was organised by HCSS in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, & the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Association (KNMI). The event brought together Dr Saddam Waheed, Chief Engineer at the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, and Dr Maarten van Aalst, the Director General of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institue (KNMI) to discuss challenges and opportunities associated with climate security interventions and inform smart, conflict sensitive, inclusive strategies. During the event, panelists discussed (1) the nexus between climate- and water-related challenges, and insecurity in Iraq and beyond; (2) effective strategies and tools like early warning systems and strategic communications, that can mitigate climate- and water-related security risks; and (3) the opportunities and limitations of existing approaches for adaptation in fragile countries.
To conclude the event, Dr. Jassim Al-Falahi, Deputy Minister of Environment of Iraq, emphasized the wide range of activities that the Iraqi Government is already undertaking in response to climate- and water-related challenges. In his intervention, Dr Al-Falahi announced the Iraqi government’s decision to establish the General Company for Carbon Economics. This company will be the national authority responsible for carbon bonds and the executive arm of the Government of Iraq to enter regional and global carbon markets.
During the session, Irina aimed to broaden and sharpen the understanding of challenges arising from the link between climate change and violent extremism in Iraq, as well as discuss methods and approaches to mitigate these challenges.
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