Funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the support of the Iraqi Ministry of Environment, the project ‘Development of a National Environmental Information System for Iraq’ is dedicated to creating an environmental data platform for the country.

The project and CIMA Research Foundation’s contribution

Carried out from May 2021 to June 2023, the project was developed based on activities previously conducted by CIMA Research Foundation in Haiti, also focused on developing a monitoring system to provide environmental information. As part of the project, CIMA Research Foundation has designed an online platform called ‘SIE Iraq,’ which, through its dashboards and web GIS, encompasses the definition of over 20 environmental indicators that combine local and satellite data. Through the use of the latter, the platform can offer users the ability to monitor environmental changes over time, such as the increase in drought over the past twenty years, the decrease in precipitation, and so on.

In May 2023, CIMA Research Foundation conducted training courses for Iraqi technicians on using the platform to promote independent usage. Furthermore, in January 2024 under a new contract, CIMA Research Foundation was commissioned by UNEP to conduct further activities on the platform with the aim of making the Iraqi Ministry of the Environment independent in its future management both in terms of content and structure.

The platform will serve as the reference point for the preparation of annual reports for the Rio Conventions signed by Iraq (Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention to Combat Desertification).