Erbil’s Environmental Crisis: Pollution Exceeds Global Standards

Skynews

An industrial area.

A member of the Kurdistan Parliament has stated that “environmental pollution in Erbil has become a significant threat to the city’s residents and has surpassed the red line standard for global environmental pollution.”


Azhin Ahmed, a representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan bloc in the current session of the Kurdistan Parliament, confirmed in an article published by PUKMEDIA that “according to the latest statistics on environmental pollution, Erbil has been identified as the most polluted city in Iraq. This is due to the large number of illegal factories and refineries on the city’s outskirts that fail to meet environmental standards, as well as the widespread use of plastic and the high volume of vehicles emitting toxic gases.”


She added, “Erbil’s environmental pollution has become a severe threat to the lives of its citizens. The latest statistics reveal that 50% of cancer patients are in Erbil, as the city has exceeded the red line for environmental pollution according to global standards.”


Azhin Ahmed also noted that, according to doctors, “in addition to cancer, environmental pollution is causing a rise in other serious health issues, including asthma, and allergies affecting the skin, throat, nose, and eyes.”




PUKMEDIA