Nature Iraq

About us

Nature Iraq is an Iraqi non-governmental, environmental organization created in 2004 to protect, restore, and preserve Iraq´s natural environment and the rich cultural heritage that it nourishes. Nature Iraq is an Iraqi non-governmental organization registered in Iraq, accredited to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Iraq´s first and only Affiliate to Birdlife International, and the only Middle Eastern member of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Nature Iraq was created to protect, restore, and preserve Iraq´s natural environment and the rich cultural heritage that it nourishes. Our mission includes fulfillment of the following goals:
• Improve the capacity of Iraq´s institutions to protect its environment, including local and national governmental and non-governmental bodies, along with universities, colleges, and scientific institutes.
• Develop a scientific database of environmental conditions and trends within Iraq through environmental monitoring and research programs focusing on water resources, ecology, and biodiversity.
• Encourage environmental awareness and stewardship of Iraq´s environment by promoting community-based environmental centers and clubs, developing environmental education programs in Iraq, and maintaining global awareness of Iraq´s environment.
• Promote the sustainable use of Iraq´s environment and resources, respect and balance the traditional use of the environment by indigenous inhabitants, preserve wildlife and biodiversity, and address the economic needs of both local inhabitants and the nation

Fields of work:
• Biodiversity Conservation: Nature Iraq has been working throughout Iraq on biodiversity and environmental restoration. It has conducted seasonal surveys in Iraq since 2005 on areas of key biodiversity in southern, central and northern (Kurdistan) Iraq. These surveys have focused on birds, fish, plants, and other biota as well as water quality.
• Water Resources: The primary problems of Iraq´s watershed are related to 1) pollution of the rivers and 2) upstream water diversion projects. Government decision-makers view the rivers as abstract resources that they can pollute, divert, drain and trade away without consideration to the communities and ecosystems that are destroyed in their wake. Nature Iraq´s water resources projects provide strong voices that inform local communities about what is happening and what they can do to influence these pivotal decisions.
• Sustainable Development: Nature Iraq´s current Sustainable Development work is focused on developing ecotourism programs that develop and model strategies for environmental education, economic development, land and resource management, and scientific research with a particular focus on the connections between them. Nature Iraq has developed and maintains two camps, the Mergapan Eco Camp at Peramagroon Mountain in Sulaimani and the Adobe House in Chibiash near the proposed MMNP.
• Government Cooperation – Capacity Building: In doing its part to help build the capacity of Iraqi citizens, Nature Iraq is constantly organizing training and education programs for its staff, ministry employees, university students, and other NGOs. Recent educational programs have included GIS/Database application instruction, and workshops in plant and bird identification, scientific report writing, computer applications for data management and more.

Ammar Zakri is the Chief Excutive Officer of Nature Iraq.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.