ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Authorities in Baghdad on Thursday announced that over 260 construction material factories that violated environmental regulations have been closed, with the Iraqi capital continuing to reel from severe air and water pollution.

The Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) said that “177 metal smelting plants, 60 brick factories and 30 asphalt plants were closed” for violating environmental and health regulations on the western Karkh and eastern Rusafa sides of the city.

“A large number of random burning sites have been removed, with the aim of reducing environmental pollution resulting from the emission of gases and odors associated with production processes, and the harm they cause to the health and safety of citizens,” it added.

Pollution levels of PM2.5, a dangerous particulate matter, have soared to around 110 micrograms per cubic meter in Baghdad at the time of this writing, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of five micrograms per cubic meter, according to IQAir’s real-time air quality report.

In October 2024, environmental activist Jasim al-Asadi told The New Region that Baghdad is among the Arab world’s most polluted cities, attributing most of the pollution to brick factories and oil refineries. 

Iraq is among the countries most affected by climate change globally. Dropping water levels and increasing dust storms have led thousands to displacement across the country. 

The United Nations ranks Iraq among the world's five most climate-vulnerable nations.

In March, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said over 28,000 families, numbering more than 170,000 individuals, remain displaced because of climatic factors across 12 Iraqi provinces.