Climate Vulnerability Assessment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (June 2024)

Given the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture,changing rainfall patterns linked to climate change are compromising the ability of farmers, livestock rearers and fishers to sustain their livelihoods. Reduced rainfall may decrease agricultural yields and herds, causing economic losses and forcing some families to abandon these livelihoods altogether. 

The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Iraq developed a rapid, multi-sectoral assessment of challenges related to displacement, environmental hazards, irrigation water supply, livelihoods, coping strategies and tension and conflict over natural resources. Data collection for this assessment took place between September and December 2023 in 804 locations across 3 governorates, 20 districts and 71 subdistricts in KRI.

The impact of climate change is less noticeable and more localized in KRI than in central and southern Iraq. No climate-induced displacement, secondary displacement or failed returns were recorded in KRI this round.

The findings suggest that climactic impacts are more widespread in Erbil than Sulaymaniyah governorates but families in Erbil have been slightly more able to adapt by employing a wider range of coping strategies like diversifying livelihoods and changing agricultural activities. On the other hand, the wider range of water-related issues reported in Sulaymaniyah, such as agricultural intensification and broken or inefficient water infrastructure, offer numerous entry points for programmatic interventions.