Climate Change-Induced Drought As Internal Displacement Factor In The South Of Iraq

Abstract

Iraq is a state highly vulnerable to waves of internal displacement. It has experienced and continues to suffer from this phenomenon due to the presence of large numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs) resulting from war, prolonged conflicts, and instability over the past two decades. However, the factors driving internal displacement in Iraq extend beyond violence to include non-traditional security (NTS) threats, most notably climate change-induced drought. In Iraq, drought is considered the most significant outcome of climate change, severely impacting people's daily lives and contributing to internal displacement. This paper examines drought as a factor of internal displacement in southern Iraq from 2019 to 2024. A qualitative method is employed, utilising primary and secondary data sources, including published and unpublished documents. The findings demonstrate that drought has emerged as a new driver of internal displacement, compelling citizens to leave their areas of origin. The severity of the drought, exacerbated by climate change, has led to new and frequent waves of internal displacement in southern Iraq. Therefore, fundamental measures are necessary to mitigate the expansion of this phenomenon and the resultant increase in the number of IDPs due to climate factors.