At a ceremony, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government announced the “Biodiversity in Kurdistan” project, calling on citizens to provide information and photographs and become part of protecting and documenting Kurdistan’s natural life. He said: I hope that we will all be committed to a culture of protecting and developing the environment and respect our nature and environment.
On Tuesday afternoon, 20 October 2026, Masrour Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, announced the (Biodiversity in Kurdistan) project at a special ceremony. The project is an important initiative by the (Kurdistan Foundation) to record and identify the animals, plants and important areas of the Kurdistan Region, followed by research into and protection of them.
In a speech, the Prime Minister called on the citizens of Kurdistan to support this initiative with their information, observations, suggestions, photographs and natural documents, and to become part of introducing and documenting biodiversity in Kurdistan and protecting its nature.
Here is the text of the Prime Minister’s speech:
In the name of God, the Most Great and Merciful
I welcome all distinguished guests. You are very welcome, and I am pleased to be here with you.
Today we are announcing a very important, unique and special project: Biodiversity in Kurdistan. It is another important initiative by the Kurdistan Foundation to record and identify the animals, plants and important areas of the Kurdistan Region, determine the species of plants and animals, and then research, study and protect them.
This initiative is a very important step toward introducing the diverse components of Kurdistan’s rich and colorful nature to the world. Therefore, I thank the implementers, supervisors, advisers and all employees of this important project, wish them success and continuity, and reiterate all my support and that of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Distinguished guests, Almighty God has bestowed on Kurdistan a beautiful, enchanting and adorned nature. Unfortunately, however, because of the wars, attacks and assaults by Kurdistan’s enemies, this beautiful nature has faced extensive destruction, devastation and distortion over the past hundred years. In particular, during the era of Iraq’s former regime, thousands of Kurdistan’s villages and rural settlements were burned and destroyed. The mountains, springs, summer resorts and tourist areas of Kurdistan were blown up, its animals, wildlife and forests were destroyed, and chemical and prohibited weapons were used against the people and the beautiful nature of Kurdistan.
Although following the glorious March uprising of 1991, a large number of Kurdistan’s villages and rural settlements were rebuilt and, within the capabilities of the Kurdistan Regional Government, services were provided to them, they still need more services, protection and development.
Undoubtedly, protecting nature and the environment is not solely the government’s responsibility; rather, every individual in Kurdistan must work to protect the environment, because it belongs to all of us. Environmental protection is not merely keeping the environment clean; it also means protecting trees, water, forests and animals. I hope that we will all be committed to a culture of protecting and developing the environment, respect our environment and protect it as we would our own home.
Within this framework, this project will become an important initiative aimed at further protecting and introducing Kurdistan’s environment and nature in a modern and scientific manner. It will become a trusted center and platform for biodiversity in the Kurdistan Region, whose goal is the long-term protection of Kurdistan’s wildlife and natural creatures. In particular, we are now living in an era of climate change, which has created a major problem, obstacle and challenge for our region and the world, and we must prepare ourselves in every way to confront these challenges.
Here, I find it necessary to call on the citizens of Kurdistan to support this initiative with their information, observations, suggestions, photographs and natural documents, and to become part of introducing and documenting biodiversity in Kurdistan and protecting its nature.
In this national project, researchers’ data, scientific sources and photographs are presented through the website biodiversity.krd and an intelligent live map, so that it can become a shared resource for researchers, academic institutions, education, awareness and planning. The sources and owners of the photographs are identified, and deficiencies are clearly presented.
As a scientific step toward understanding the natural wealth of the Kurdistan Region, this special project has been implemented. The total number of species recorded so far has reached 2252, consisting of 858 animal species and 11408 plant species. To carry out this major national endeavor and identify the species, an expert multidisciplinary team worked on it, comprising: eight members of the meteorological team, eight researchers, four photographers and two writers, along with a special adviser to the project.
What I have referred to here has placed greater emphasis on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and most of the records belong to the governorates of the Kurdistan Region and the boundaries of the independent administrations of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. But, setting politics aside, wherever the land is Kurdistan, I hope you will give it importance and that the animals and plants found in every span of Kurdistan’s land will also be recorded. Whether in the Kurdistan Region or outside the Kurdistan Region in neighboring countries, wherever the land is Kurdistan, I hope you will give it importance and that this information and data will be collected. This will make more information and data available scientifically and bring attention to these important natural resources, which matter to us all.
Another responsibility is not only recording these animals and plants, but also protecting them. Their protection is everyone’s responsibility: the government’s, every individual citizen’s, and everyone who loves and respects the environment and nature.
Once again, I thank the employees and all the staff of this important project and wish you success.
May our Kurdistan prosper, and I hope we will all be part of the project to protect Kurdistan’s colorful nature. Thank you.
