In recent days, environmental activists across various regions of Kurdistan, especially in the forested areas of Marivan, Baneh, Sardasht, and Uramanat, have launched campaigns to restore and rehabilitate damaged trees. This initiative is a response to the widespread destruction of Kurdistan’s natural resources, resulting from military maneuvers, aerial and artillery attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the deliberate neglect of governmental institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and severe climate change.
Oak trees, considered the green lungs of Kurdistan, have been more exposed to destruction in recent years than ever before. Frequent forest fires, drought, wood smuggling, and military projects by the IRGC have caused extensive damage to the region’s natural ecosystem. In response, grassroots and volunteer groups have undertaken the significant task of compensating for these losses.
One environmental activist in Marivan stated, “We cannot remain silent in the face of these atrocities. Every tree we plant or restore is a cry against occupation, destruction, and injustice.”
Many young volunteers, equipped with basic tools, are pruning semi-burnt trees, restoring damaged soil, and striving to prevent the complete loss of the forest canopy. These activities are carried out without the support of official institutions and are funded by personal expenses.
In conjunction with these efforts, social media campaigns with hashtags such as NoToEnvironmentalDestruction and KurdistanTrees are gaining traction. The goal of these campaigns is to draw domestic and international public attention to the dire state of the environment in Kurdistan.
Activists are calling for greater support from human rights organizations, international environmental agencies, and independent media to expose the role of occupying regimes in the systematic destruction of Kurdistan’s nature.
