Iraq ranks as the world’s fifth most severely affected country by climate change, driven by unprecedented temperature increases over the past two decades, an official revealed on Thursday.

Speaking during a session at the Iraq Development Platform in Baghdad, Environment Ministry Undersecretary Jassim Al-Falahi stated that Iraq experienced a sharp rise in temperatures over the last 20 years, exceeding global scenarios that project a one-degree Celsius increase every 100 years. Even a single-degree rise, he explained, significantly boosts demand for energy and water, triggering health, social, economic, and environmental consequences that can extend into security and political domains.

Al-Falahi linked climate change directly to rising drought rates, noting that rainfall levels have declined by 35% over the past 30 years, based on data from internationally recognized research centers. Iraq has endured four consecutive years of drought, with the impacts intensifying due to reduced water inflows caused by upstream policies and water retention measures, he added, stressing that the country depends on transboundary water sources for 90% of its supply, leaving it highly vulnerable to water crises.