The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is committed to the global fight against climate change and is handling its responsibilities in combating the phenomenon, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said while attending the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. The KRG has taken a number of steps in recent years to address the growing threat of global warming, such as investing in solar power plants, with Barzani previously calling on the Kurdistan Region’s citizens to avoid wasting power. There are currently two solar power plants in the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has revealed plans to build an additional station in Erbil province’s Soran administration.Barzani arrived in Dubai on Thursday to attend the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN’s annual climate summit, where dozens of world leaders gathered.This year is set to become the hottest year ever recorded, the United Nations said on Thursday, warning of the devastating repercussions and demanding immediate action to tackle climate change.Iraq is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. It is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste and mismanagement.Scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius where recorded in Iraq this year, coupled with water scarcity, desertification, and reduced rainfall. According to the UN, over 130,000 people in southern Iraq are prone to displacement by the end of 2023 due to the effects of climate change. The UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) special representative in Iraq told Rudaw last month that Iraq is severely affected by the impacts of climate change, mainly due to a decrease in water levels, and that the UN is working to assist the Iraqi government to increase water flow into the country.In December of last year, the World Bank estimated that Iraq needs around $233 billion worth of investments by 2040 to respond to the effects of climate change.Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid are also attending the COP28 summit, leading separate delegations.  (ICE AMMAN)

Fonte notizia: Stampa Locale