Business LANDSCAPE Magazine Issue 9

Editorial IX: Redefining Priorities – Is Iraq on the Path to a Climate-Resilient Business LANDSCAPE?

This editorial frames climate change as an urgent national challenge for Iraq, highlighting desertification, water scarcity, dust storms, and displacement. It stresses the private sector’s responsibility in awareness, policy, and technology. The issue also references research and interviews with Crescent Petroleum, the British Ambassador, and local entrepreneurs.

Articleفريق أبحاث كابيتا8 min

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The Urban Violation: The Eradication of Green Spaces in Baghdad

Since 1927, Iraq has committed to conducting a population census every ten years to monitor population growth. The last official census, made by the Ministry of Planning's Central Organization for Statistics (COSIT) in 1997, covered fifteen provinces, except for Kurdistan region, and counted a population of 19,184,543 people. The total estimated population of Iraq at that time was around 21,000,000 people.

ArticleAbdullah Tareq Abbood1 min

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Climate-Induced Displacement and Its Fallouts on the Iraqi Socioeconomic Life

Desertification is impacting almost 40% of Iraq’s territory, making it one of the most vulnerable countries to decreased water and food availability, extreme temperatures, and associated health problems, according to the sixth report of the Global Environment Outlook for West Asia (GEO-6).

Articleshadan.khalid1 min

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Iraq As a Final Destination? Attempts to Build a Thriving Ecotourism Scene

There is a historic and deeply rooted connection between nature and Iraq. Climate change has always played a vital role in the mythology and national identity of the land. In one of the earliest works of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh, we find the protagonist fighting a lot of natural factors to end up being confronted by the story of the great flood in his quest for immortality. That deep connection with the ecology of Iraq has been a constant theme, as the land has always been named after its ecological ecosystems. The Greeks called it Mesopotamia, “the land between rivers.” The Arabs named it Wadi Al-Raifidain, “the valley of the two tributaries.” Many human cultures in Iraq grew with a deep connection to nature, the Mandeans by the riverbanks, the Kurds in the mountains, Arabs in the marshes, and Bedouins in the deserts.

Articleshadan.khalid8 min

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Dust Storms on the Horizon: Addressing Climate Change Impact on Iraq and the Urgency for Proactive Response

Academic paper showing Iraq’s rising temperatures (+0.9°C since 2007, projected +3.5°C by 2100) and declining precipitation (up to –30%). Dust storms have surged, worsening asthma and respiratory diseases. Water scarcity in Tigris/Euphrates may cut flows by 50% by 2030. The paper proposes adaptation plans for water harvesting, modern agriculture, resilient health systems, forest expansion, and wastewater recycling.

ArticleDr. Hayder Mohammed Abdul-Hameed9 min

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Mitigating Climate Change Through Energy-efficient Design Principles

As the world warms up, space cooling is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a development priority and an equity challenge. The surging demand for cooling is exacerbating global warming through emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in cooling equipment, as well as CO2 and black carbon emissions from mainly fossil fuel-based energy used to power cooling.

Articleshadan.khalid9 min

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From Incubation to Action: How Qaf Lab is Accelerating Climate-smart Farming in Iraq

It is no secret that climate change is a serious problem facing humanity today. The rapid shifts in weather patterns, which have already begun to take a toll on our planet's delicate ecosystems, economies, and societies, cannot be ignored. The agricultural industry is on the front lines of the climate change battle. Extreme weather events, water scarcity, and soil degradation are some of the challenges that farmers face in the wake of the climate change crisis. In response to this challenge, many companies are taking proactive steps to combat climate change and promote sustainable agriculture. QAF Lab is an example of such a company; it is a Mosul-based business incubator and innovation hub committed to developing innovative solutions to address the challenges of climate change in agriculture.

Articleshadan.khalid10 min

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Stakeholders Mapping for Climate Action

Climate change is the world’s most looming issue, and Iraq is no different in that regard. However, oftentimes when the subject of climate change is open to discussion, many are not aware of who are the parties responsible for the fight against climate change. Thus, KAPITA decided to host a climate change conference to discuss the findings published in a stakeholders mapping research titled “Stakeholders Mapping for Climate Action: Leveraging Awareness, Policy, and Technology.” The mapping was the blueprint upon which the conference was built. The conference was held on March 18th, 2023, at Babylon (Rotana) Hotel in Baghdad. The conference featured three panels; Panel One: Policy and Decision Making in Climate Change Related Projects, Panel Two: Awareness and Information Dissemination about Climate Change, and Panel Three: Technological Transformation towards Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

Articleshadan.khalid8 min

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Climate Change Overview: Impacts, Mitigation, and Adaptation in Iraq

A comprehensive study of Iraq’s climate crisis: desertification, water scarcity, declining rainfall, record heatwaves, dust storms, salinization, and energy stress. The report reviews Iraq’s Paris Agreement commitments (NDCs), covering energy, agriculture, waste, housing, and industry. It also profiles green startups (KESK, Tanweer, Mosul Solar, Eco Life). Recommendations include desertification control, greenbelts, wastewater reuse, and regional water negotiations.

ArticleKAPITA’s Research Team8 min

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Interview with Majid Jafar

Majid Jafar is the CEO of Crescent Petroleum, a prominent energy company with a history spanning over 50 years, headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, with offices in Iraq, the UK, and other international locations. He holds degrees in engineering from Cambridge University in the UK and an MBA from Harvard.

Articleshadan.khalid15 min

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Interview with Mark Bryson-Richardson

Mark Bryson-Richardson is a British diplomat who currently serves as the UK Ambassador to Iraq. He has an extensive background in diplomatic service, with experience in various countries and roles in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Articleshadan.khalid14 min

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Interview with Maythem Saad

Maythem Saad is the Founder and CEO of Berhyah, an Iraqi brand that offers a selection of gourmet Iraqi dates, with headquarters in Basra. Mr. Saad has built his profile working in the telecommunications and information technology domains. He has since started navigating the food manufacturing industry in Iraq and established his startup Berhyah. Mr. Maythem told Business LANDSCAPE about the story behind Berhyah, their developments, the challenges of an import-saturated market, the impact of climate change on food manufacturing businesses, and what the future beholds for the company as a brand that could carry the story of Iraq to the world.

Articleshadan.khalid9 min

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Business LANDSCAPE Magazine Issue 9

Issue Overview

Articles in this Issue

Editorial IX: Redefining Priorities – Is Iraq on the Path to a Climate-Resilient Business LANDSCAPE?

The Urban Violation: The Eradication of Green Spaces in Baghdad

Climate-Induced Displacement and Its Fallouts on the Iraqi Socioeconomic Life

Iraq As a Final Destination? Attempts to Build a Thriving Ecotourism Scene

Dust Storms on the Horizon: Addressing Climate Change Impact on Iraq and the Urgency for Proactive Response

Mitigating Climate Change Through Energy-efficient Design Principles