Wildfire Analyses in Iraqi Kurdistan
Publisher: PAX International
Author(s): Linda Rasheed and Wim Zwijnenburg, with Stephan Preinstorfer
Date: 2025
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has faced a concerning rise in wildfires in recent years. These fires pose both acute and longterm threats to communities, livelihoods, and the region’s unique biodiversity. The fires are primarily caused by a combination of natural and human-made factors, including hot and dry weather conditions, accidents, and increasingly military activities: fighting between the Turkish Armed Forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) insurgent group. Beyond direct environmental degradation, this fighting has also led to the displacement of communities and the destruction of infrastructure. There are also indications that these developments are compounded by larger concerns over climate change in the KRI that are impacting weather patterns and environmental conditions. The rapid increase in temperatures, winds and dry vegetation all make the region more prone to wildfires, which in turn affects livelihoods and engenders displacement.
As part of PAX’s work on Climate and Environment Action in Iraq, this Environmental Action Alert presents a brief analysis of fires during the period of May to August 2024.