This Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is a multisectoral document aiming to support Iraq’s transition towards a sustainable, resilient, low-emission, and environmentally sustainable development pathway, while fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Agreement, enhancing climate resilience, protecting biodiversity, strengthening human security, and advancing national development priorities. The NDC seeks to integrate climate action into development planning and contribute to inclusive economic growth, social justice, environmental protection, and long-term national stability. The Specific Objectives set out in the document to be achieved by 2035 are (i) reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased mitigation ambition, including an unconditional reduction of up to 5% below the Business-as-Usual (BaU) scenario and a conditional reduction of up to 17% below BaU, for a total potential reduction of 22%; (ii) enhance climate adaptation and resilience by reducing vulnerability, strengthening adaptive capacity, and improving resilience in the priority sectors of water, agriculture, ecosystems, and health; (iii) address climate-related loss and damage, including impacts on displacement and migration, nutrition and health, biodiversity, cultural heritage, security, and social cohesion; (iv) protect and restore critical ecosystems, including marshlands, forests, mountains, and biodiversity-rich areas, through nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration measures; (vii) strengthen water security and food security by improving water management, developing additional water resources, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and increasing resilience to drought and desertification; (viii) promote a just and inclusive climate transition, ensuring the participation and protection of women, youth, vulnerable groups, civil society, and local communities in climate action and decision-making; (ix) enhance climate governance and implementation capacity through stronger institutions, improved monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, climate finance mobilization, technology transfer, and capacity building; (x) support economic diversification and green growth, reducing dependence on oil while expanding renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable industries, climate-smart agriculture, and other low-carbon development opportunities. The updated NDC identifies the following sectors and measures to be implemented. Mitigation sectors and measures regards the following (i) Power sector: improve energy and resource efficiency across the electricity supply chain, reduce network losses, apply demand-side management, recover waste heat, modernize the grid, deploy renewable energy (solar and wind), and replace diesel and heavy fuel oil with natural gas and cleaner fuels; (ii) Industry (IPPU): recover waste heat in cement and steel plants, reduce clinker use in cement production, improve energy and resource efficiency through process optimization and recycling, switch to cleaner fuels, and deploy on-site renewable energy systems; (iii) Oil and gas: implement leak detection and repair systems, capture and utilize associated gas, install vapour recovery units, electrify gas-driven pneumatic devices, expand on-site renewable energy, and eliminate routine gas flaring; (iv) Transport: improve public transport and rail networks, introduce fuel-efficiency standards, and promote electric, hybrid, and LPG vehicles; (v) Buildings: deploy high-efficiency lighting, rooftop solar PV with storage, solar water heaters, green building design, and retrofit public buildings; (vi) Waste management: landfill gas capture, source segregation, composting, tyre recycling, wastewater treatment, expansion of sewage networks, and waste-to-energy plants; (vii) Nature-based solutions: afforestation and improved manure management. Concerning the adaptation sectors and measures they are (i) Water: develop new water resources through dams, water harvesting and desalination; reuse treated wastewater; improve water management and allocation systems; apply AI and digital technologies; strengthen water forecasting and groundwater assessment; promote nature-based solutions and public participation in water conservation; (ii) Agriculture: use climate-smart agriculture, drought-, heat- and salinity-resistant crop varieties, modern irrigation technologies, improved soil management, agroforestry, climate insurance and green loans, strengthened extension services, improved veterinary systems, and sustainable livestock and rangeland management; (iii) Unique ecosystems (marshes, forests and mountains): integrate climate adaptation into biodiversity planning, mainstream ecosystem-based approaches, restore degraded habitats and forests, expand protected areas, establish green belts and windbreaks to combat dust storms, improve water management in biodiversity hotspots, increase natural vegetation cover, and strengthen conservation measures; (iv) Health: conduct climate and health vulnerability assessments, implement a Health Adaptation Action Plan, strengthen surveillance and early-warning systems, improve healthcare infrastructure and emergency preparedness, enhance water and sanitation services, increase electricity supply for climate resilience, and establish green belts to reduce dust storm impacts.
العراق · 2025-09-01