Haneul friend: Choi Hye-in from Incheon to Iraq | Connectography Speech 011

Just added my Connectography Speech of Iraq! 

Check out the video and let’f learn about Iraq together.

Connectography Speech for World Environment Day 2025 | Choi Hye-In (Iraq) | 011

While exploring Iraq's characteristic topography, I discovered that the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are of great geographical, historical, and social importance. Due to the seasonal flooding, the two rivers provided fertile alluvial soil to the surrounding areas, thus creating a very suitable environment for agricultural development, enabling the development of ancient civilizations. Due to being a transportation hub connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe, commercial and cultural exchanges have been brisk throughout the history. Recently, however, I saw an article that the reckless construction of dams has led to problems such as water resource disputes. What are the specific aspects of the water problem in this area today, what efforts at the government, business, and individual levels are being made to address it, and what additional measures are needed?

  Recently, Incheon, South Korea has been experiencing clear and pleasant weather overall as spring approaches. The average morning temperature was a bit chilly, around 7 to 10 degrees, but the daytime temperature rose to 15 to 20 degrees, giving off a feeling of mild spring weather. In particular, April 2nd and 3rd were clear days without a single cloud, making them great for outdoor activities. There were many days with large daily temperature differences, so the mornings and nights felt a bit chilly, and the winds were strong, requiring light outerwear. In early April, the weather was generally dry without significant precipitation, and the fine dust concentration was generally maintained at a ‘normal’ level.

  However, the recent weather has been showing a distinctly different pattern than this time a few years ago. In particular, there were many days with cold weather and large daily temperature differences in early April. In addition to early April, the recent trend of longer summers and winters and shorter springs and fall has also been evident. These extreme temperature differences and unexpected weather patterns are clearly abnormal climate phenomena, and they are affecting our daily lives. The abnormal climate that has been recurring in recent years is not simply a change in weather, but an indicator that the problem of climate change is facing us. Droughts, heavy rains, fine dust, yellow dust, and the blurring of the boundaries between the four seasons are all closely related to complex environmental problems such as rising global average temperatures, increased carbon emissions, and destruction of ecosystems. Therefore, I think it is time to pay attention to environmental issues and climate change and make even a little effort to solve them.

  

  After researching Iraq’s environmental policies, I found that Iraq is implementing various policies to respond to climate change and environmental pollution. The most impressive of these was the goal of joining the Global Methane Pledge in 2021 and reducing methane emissions by more than 30% by 2030 compared to 2020. Specifically, efforts are being made to reduce methane emissions in major emission sectors such as oil and gas, agriculture, and waste. In addition, a national response system for climate change is being established by establishing a National Climate Change Center and cooperating with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to establish a National Adaptation Plan (NAP). 

  However, I understand that Iraq’s current economic structure is largely dependent on oil exports. I wonder if it is realistically possible to reduce the oil industry and reorganize the economic and industrial structure around renewable energy, and if so, what measures are being taken to address the economic problems that arise in the process.

 Hi, I am Choi Hye-in and I am a high school student in Korea. I am 16 years old and in the second grade of high school. I am interested in Iraq and I want to know more about it.