the environmental crisis in Kurdistan and Russia
Long ago, in 1897, Russian writer Anton Chekhov in his famous play “Uncle Vanya” used to describe ecology changes: “The forests are disappearing, the rivers are running dry, the wildlife is exterminated, the climate is spoiled, and the earth becomes poorer and uglier everyday”.
Indeed, vast climate change is one of our century’s challenges. It has already gone beyond the scale of scholar disputes and became a global issue. Aggravated by hazardous human activities, the global ecology crisis became a true menace for economic, cultural and social development of all the nations. Scarcity of fresh water, extinction of animal and plant biodiversity, reduced rainfall, improper waste disposal are main factors of the global crisis. Currently, the issue of environmental protection is on the agenda of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The KRG’s statements rule that fight against climate change is a pillar of social prosperity, political stability, security and economic success. The KRG runs a number of ecologies saving programs addressed air purification, reduction of waste disposals and greenhouse emissions. The local authorities are actively participating in key events dedicated to the fight against climate change. Therefore, H.E. the President of Kurdistan Mr. Nechirvan Barzani and H.E. the Prime Minister Mr. Masrour Barzani attended in 2023 the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai and delivered detailed reports analyzing environmental issues of Kurdistan. The KRG continues this work and its delegation headed by H.E. the President of Kurdistan Mr. Nechirvan Barzani takes part in the COP29 in Baku this year. The Russian Federation is actively resisting the global environmental crisis. Emphasizing this, on October 26, 2023, Н.E. the President of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Putin approved the new Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation, which sets goals, principles and techniques for implementing a governmental policy on climate change and its consequences. This document laid solid foundation for implementation and development of the Russian climate policy.
