Under the patronage of Prime Minister Eng. Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, and in the presence of the Minister of Environment and the Governor of the Central Bank, the "First International Scientific Conference of the Alamein Center for Environment, Climate Change and Water" concluded in Baghdad on Saturday, October 18, 2025, under the slogan "The Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia: Documenting the Environmental Heritage and a Knowledge Launch Towards a Sustainable Regional Future." The conference discussed, over two days, and through seven specialized scientific sessions, and in the presence of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Resident Coordinator for Iraq, Mr. Ghulam Ishaqzai, the Iranian and Turkish ambassadors in Baghdad, accompanied by research and academic delegations from the two countries, the Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands, Dr. Nasreddin Al-Obaid, and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning, Environment, Water Resources, Health, Agriculture, the Communications and Media Commission, the Environment and Climate Change Office in the Advisory Board, and a large number of experts and academics from inside and outside Iraq, strengthening the scientific partnership between Iraq and neighboring countries to eliminate phenomena resulting from global warming, water scarcity, and population migration, and supporting governmental and academic efforts to confront environmental challenges and the repercussions of climate change. Climate change, in the service of sustainable development, as well as formulating expert efforts into workable initiatives. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Resident Coordinator for Iraq, Mr. Gholam Eshaqzai, and the Iranian and Turkish ambassadors to Baghdad, accompanied by research and academic delegations from both countries,
In his speech at the conference, His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Bahr Al-Uloom, Chairman of the Bahr Al-Uloom Charitable Foundation, said that the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia is not a project of the Alamein Center, but rather a project of an entire nation, embodying Iraq's vision for a balanced and sustainable environmental future. He described it as a real opportunity to prove that we have the ability to transform knowledge into action, science into policy, and thought into development. He added that this encyclopedia is our national choice in the face of a difficult environmental reality, because we do not have the luxury of choice or waiting in the face of the imminent environmental threat.
The conference resulted in the official announcement of the establishment of the Alamein Center for Environmental Studies, Climate Change and Water as a national and regional platform for scientific research and innovation in the fields of environment, water, renewable energy and artificial intelligence, in a way that enhances Iraq’s efforts to confront the challenges of climate and water resources, and the launch of the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia project as a comprehensive national work documenting the Iraqi environmental heritage over ten volumes covering various environmental fields, and unifying academic and governmental efforts through the involvement of more than (150) professors and researchers from various Iraqi universities and scientific institutions, in addition to the support and assistance team from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning, Environment, Water Resources, Health and Agriculture, the Communications and Media Commission and the Environment and Climate Change Office in the Advisory Board to achieve cognitive integration between state institutions and the scientific community, and to enhance regional cooperation with neighboring countries (Iran, Turkey, Syria) in the fields of water management, environmental protection, and reducing the effects of climate change by exchanging experiences and implementing joint research projects, and confirming Iraq’s pioneering environmental role in the region by adopting a sustainable approach to natural resource management, encouraging green economy and renewable energy initiatives, and developing integrated national policies for climate adaptation.
The conference also issued several recommendations, including the adoption of the Alamein Center as a national advisory body supporting ministries and government institutions in the fields of environment, climate, water, and energy. It also included the inclusion of the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia project within national scientific research programs, allocating financial and technical support to complete the stages of its preparation and publication in print and digital form. It also established a permanent scientific advisory body for the center and the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia, comprising a group of Iraqi scientists and experts in the fields of environment, climate, water, and energy. This body would oversee the scientific activities of the center, ensure the quality of the scientific content of the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia, and review its periodic updates. It would also form a specialized national team of researchers and academics to review and revise the scientific volumes of the Iraqi Environmental Encyclopedia, to ensure scientific accuracy, cognitive consistency, and quality of final production, under the supervision of the permanent scientific advisory body. It would also strengthen partnerships with the United Nations and international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in the fields of training, capacity building, and implementation of environmental sustainability projects.
