An Economic Analysis of Indicators of Sustainable Agricultural Development in Iraq (Environmental Indicators as a case study)

Abstract

The research aimed to study the environmental indicators as one of the indicators of sustainable development in Iraq to find out the reality of the environmental situation as well as to know the strengths and weaknesses and what are the available opportunities for their advancement and to confront the threats that deepen the weaknesses in these indicators. The research concluded that the Iraqi environment suffers from the effects of these indicators, although its data indicate a decrease in its averages compared to the world, but its growth rates clearly indicate that the future of the environment in Iraq does not bode well, As well as the transformation of significant areas of agricultural lands into decertified lands or threatened with desertification due to climate change and the decline in water imports, not to mention the urban sprawl and the enactment of laws that exacerbated the problem, as well as the lack of balance between population growth and food production. The research recommended the need to provide accurate data on environmental indicators that contribute to an accurate assessment of environmental performance in Iraq, relying on alternative energy sources, working on sustainable agriculture and limiting random urban expansion.