Mosul, Iraq (February 20, 2022) - Rwanga Foundation announced the 'Rwanga Forests' project through a press conference in Mosul governorate. The project aims to combat climate change and providing short-term jobs to the residents.

The Rwanga Forests project is a climate action project that will be executed in Iraq and KRI. Climate change is occurring as a result of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere caused by the combustion of fossil fuels and fire explosions. The Rwanga Foundation will carry out this project in many parts of the country over the course of several months and years. The project's goal is to train and prepare the community to plant massive trees in the destroyed forests and ecosystem. It will also contribute significantly to carbon capture for climate change mitigation.

As for the year 2022, Rwanga Foundation is implementing this project in Mosul Forests. The project's goal is to bring life to Mosul's woodlands, combat climate change, and encourage local economic recovery by providing short-term jobs. Over the course of 50 days, the project entails planting 5,000 Eucalyptus trees in an area of 8 Donums in  Mosul forests with cash for work workers. The project is a response and support to the 2017 fire explosion.

Even though forests are regarded the only breather, we did not notice any development or interest in them, such as rehabilitation or attempts to improve their poor state.

In 2017, a fire ravaged the Mosul forests, destroying huge portions of them. For this reason, the Rwanga Foundation launched this initiative to bring life back to the forest, combat climate change, and stimulate recovery of the local economy by creating short-term work.