At a time when the "Bazian" district in Sulaymaniyah Governorate suffers from environmental pollution and the change of the type of its agricultural lands to industrial, Shaima seeks to preserve the natural environment of the region through various methods and projects.
Shaima Hamdallah, 26, opened a nursery to sell flowers and plants at affordable prices, to encourage the locals to increase green spaces and spread pine tree seeds in the high areas on the outskirts of Bazian, in addition to spreading environmental awareness by assuming responsibility for an important department in an organization concerned with the environment.
Shaima graduated from the Department of Agricultural Sciences. Her efforts aim at curbing the air and environmental pollution of the region. Besides, she was able to secure a livelihood for her family through her work as an agricultural consultant.
Bazian is located south of the city of Sulaymaniyah northern province. It was considered an important agricultural area, especially for the production of vegetables and fruits. It was among the most important producers of rice, but since 2003, the process of changing the type of land from agricultural to industrial began, so that Bazian became the headquarters of 30% of Iraqi industries in 2022.
Shaima is very enthusiastic about protecting the agricultural environment. In addition to establishing a mushroom production plant, she opened (Shaima Nursery) this year. “My goal in establishing the nursery is to secure an income for my family and at the same time increase the percentage of greenery.”
“The prices of cuttings and plants here are cheaper in order to encourage people to plant and care for them. I focus on plants that have the ability to adapt to hot and dry weather, so that they can confront climate change,” she added.
Factory smoke and industrial waste have harmed the environment, but as a result of pressure from the residents of the area, most factories have been forced to use filters.
The price of a seedling or plant ranges between 1000 and 1500 Iraqi dinars IQD (1USD), this discount includes people interested in increasing green spaces.
My goal is to provide both livelihood and increase greenery through this nursery
"Women are more interested in buying flowers to decorate their homes. Greenery and a variety of flower colors, whether placed inside or outside the house, are necessary to spread positive energy to women and keep them away from stress and psychological problems. It also reduces hormonal imbalances and air pollution."
As part of her work, Shaima deals with farmers who are struggling to preserve the environment of "Bazian" as an agricultural area. She works as an agricultural consultant and provides them with assistance by giving them instructions on how to use the best methods to increase agricultural production.
This year, the World Food Program WFP granted Shaima a greenhouse so that she can produce more plants and protect them from heat and sunlight.
Although greenhouses are not environmentally friendly, they have become common in Bazian, home to only eight greenhouses in 2005 yet mounted to 1,5000 in the present, belonging to 800 farmers, according to statistics from Bazian Agriculture.
Zaniar Tawfiq, Bazian Agriculture Director, says that Bazian has completely transformed from an agricultural area to an industrial area, "The largest Iraqi factories are currently located in Bazian," stressing that water scarcity, difficulty in marketing crops, and the lack of electricity needed to light and ventilate greenhouses have led to a decline in agriculture.
"The smoke from factories and industrial waste has harmed the environment, but as a result of pressure from the residents of the area, most factories have been forced to use filters to reduce harmful emissions," he pointed out.
Another local official affirmed that factory smoke is under control.
"The (government relevant) committees constantly inspect the factories to ensure that they do not pollute the environment,” Nawzad Jalal, the mayor of Bazian, said.
He suggested more restrictions for factories in terms of corporate social responsibility CSR toward the region where they operate.
“In general, these factories provide job opportunities and few sources of income for the residents of Bazian. It is better to oblige the factories according to the law to allocate a percentage of the revenues to provide services to the area and provide job opportunities for its residents."
.haima Hamdallah selling a cutting to a customer at her nursery in Bazyan, Sulaymaniyah, 2024. Lava Hisam
Shaima wants to go far in her plans to increase green spaces, but there are obstacles, including water scarcity and the lack of sufficient land, but the most important thing is that she did not stand helpless in the face of these challenges that women in society face when practicing some work.
Natural mushroom production, is another project founded by Shaima,
"After graduating from university, it became clear to me that the project was fruitful and profitable, and I had the ability to implement it, so the project for which I allocated the basement of our house is still ongoing."
She is also active on social media platforms by spreading environmental awareness and warning about the repercussions of climate change. Shaima is responsible for the Relations Department at the Ainde (Future) Environmental Protection Organization, whose activities are concentrated in Sulaymaniyah.
Factory smoke and waste have been detrimental to the environment
Shaima believes that Bazian's environment is suitable for planting pine trees because it does not require large amounts of water, so she accompanies mountain climbers on their trips to spread pine seeds and fruit trees in mountainous areas.
"Our goal is to preserve the environment and increase the percentage of green spaces."
There are no official and accurate figures in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that determine the percentage of greenery in the governorates and cities, but a survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2015 and approved by the Environmental Protection Authority indicated that the percentage of green spaces in the region is 12%, while international standards set the percentage at around 30%.
"We are trying to increase the greenery in Bazian. The most important tree we can plant to combat climate change and protect the environment is the eucalyptus tree, but in appropriate ways such as creating forests and not by planting it in medians or on sidewalks or in front of houses," she believes.
"This tree absorbs polluted air and collects it in its cells and produces a large amount of oxygen. It needs little water in the first year of planting because its leaves are oily. Trees with oily leaves need little water."
Shaima stressed the need to pay more attention to indigenous trees, "The best types of trees to protect the environment are pine, mulberry and walnut trees because they are perennial trees and able to adapt to the climate of the Kurdistan.”
