A Green Belt for new life

There has been a long going talk about creating a Green Belt south of Hewler. The question has been raised and dropped in periods. The interest of the oil companies, conservative environmentalists and other more pressing issues have this far hindered the project. I hereby suggest a model that enables the establishment of the Green Belt that will attract interest, money and expertise from abroad – among other positive effects.
Why a Green Belt?
· Every summer Hewler is covered by desert dust, carried by winds from the south, a yellowish filth cover streets, cars and laundry. It penetrates the houses and covers furniture.
· People with respiratory problems suffer during this period.
· At the same time is the growing city lacking recreational areas: simply, good healthy nature.
· To the picture must also be added that the city is creating its own problems. All the cars are producing green house gasses that are giving us a hotter climate. The desert is moving north.
Examples from abroad show that this can be addressed by planting massive green belts. A dense forest in the direction of the ruling winds can filter the air, diminish the winds, give good recreation, bind green house gasses and stop desertification and land degradation.
Today we have the techniques and trees for this climate. We only lack the decision, the organization and the means for this endeavor.
Non-profit NGO
I suggest that a large area of the Zurgazraw hills is managed by a non-profit, nongovernmental organization for 25 years. After this period the land is handled over to the government, now as a lush park covered with trees and filled with wild life.
How?
1. 2007/2008 Selection of suitable area
Together with representatives for the general directorate of forestry, oil wells, planning and other authorities in concern, should a suitable area be selected for Project Green Belt. It must have a depth of at least 10 kilometers to make any kind of impact on the climate. Concerning the width it shall be as large as possible. I guess that some 40 kilometers would be great. We might have to accept areas of national economic interest within the Green Belt.
2. 2008 Pilot project
I project of this dignity must be tested concerning species, organization and logistics. Let’s begin with a minor pilot project of 1 000 trees. This Pilot project will start immediately as the proposal of the Green Belt is accepted. During December 2007 to February 2008 is a selected area planted within the Green Belt of about 12 – 16 000 m2. A valley surrounded by ridges is to prefer since it can create a climatic pocket. The area shall be fenced by the ministry to stop browsing cattle. It can be simple fencing like double barbed wire.
The ministry should place a minor post for the Green Belt Pilot project in its budget for 2008:
· 1,6 km simple fencing (double barbed wire) (1 000 USD)
· 1 person clearing around the plants and maintaining the fencing.( 6000 USD)
· Watering twice a week during the dry season ( 1 000 m3 water)
· I guess that the total costs will be less than 20 000 USD or 20 USD/plant, year one. After the first dry season is no watering needed and the cost per tree is maybe 1 USD/tree/year, or less.
· The project evaluation shall be in December 2008. The evaluation shall consider the performance of the plants as well as the cooperation.

3. The Green Belt Project start
In the end of 2008 should both the ministry of Agriculture and the Green Belt Trust have acquired a good picture of:
· Suitable species for the area
· Methods of plantation, maintenance and watering
· Organization on both sides for a well working cooperation
It is now time to write the Green Belt proposal. Based on experiences gathered from the Pilot project should the goal be to:
· 2009 plant 1km2,
· 2010 plant 10 km2
Every year coming should the goal be to plant 10 km2. This area is possible to plant by traditional methods while larger areas call for other means. This will be discussed later in this sketch.
4. Organization
The Green Belt Trust should be organized in a manner that attracts donators. The chairman shall be a well known Kurd, with broad international contacts and ability to communicate in several languages. This person shall have a strong personal interest in environmental issues. As the representative of the Green Belt Trust he shall attract sponsors and act as spokesman for the project. Without the right person here the project will dwindle.
The organization shall invite expertise from renounced universities working with semiarid forestry as the University of Auburn and the University of Arizona. There is also solid expertise at the Danish Agricultural University (Skov og Landskab). It is of course beficial to join the UN Billion Tree program. The Green Belt trust is open to every person interested in the issue. The organization is not related to any certain party or religious group. All cherishing environmental thinking and democratic values are welcome.
All documentation from the organization shall be in English in order to make it transparent and trust worthy in the eyes of foreign interests and to allow non-Kurdish board members and international economical revision.
The board and the council are to be formed according to international democratic rules.
If the organization is not formed and working within one year after the foundation, the area is handled back to the government.

5. The Government and the Green Belt Trust have different roles
The Government enables
I suggest that in the Green Belt project shall the Ministry of Agriculture supportive role, thus enabling the Green Belt. The ministry of Agriculture should contribute with:
· Infrastructure like fencing, roads and electricity, buildings, transportation for persons involved and for material to the project.
· Manpower to nurse the growing trees, maintain the fence and Park Wards to guide the visitors and protect the wild life.
· Resources at the nurseries to grow bulk plants (that will be bought by the Green Belt)
The Green Belt Trust plants
By the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Green Belt Trust can focus entirely on the trees. This will attract donators from near and far. The contributors shall be able to buy a certain amount of trees for a fixed sum per tree. From 50 trees or more shall a plate commemorate the givers of a certain lot. In fund raising it is important to have simple tangible goals. We welcome of course donations from the Ministry buying 1000 trees of more per year! Every square kilometer is planted with 70 – 100 000 trees so contributions are needed.

6. Coming years
I expect radically decreased costs for the yearlings planted coming years. By smart planting of drought hardy species should the costs/tree/year never exceed 1, 50 USD. The Green Belt shall have as its goal to increase the plantings as much as practically possible. Limiting factors are available funds, plants and methods. The trust shall initiate tree planting campaigns and popularize environmental thinking in the country as whole.

7. Species used
The world offers several climatic regimes comparable to the Kurdish setting. In all of these trees grow, adapted to the climate. Many belong to the Fabeace family like Prosopis and Acacia but also Jacaranda and Paulownia will be useful.
In the Pilot Project we intend to plant:
Prosopis alba, Prosopis glandulosa torreyana, Prosopis flexuosa, Prosopis chilensis, Acacia aneura, Acacia nilotica, Acacia brachystachya, Geoffroea decorticans and Jacaranda mimosifolia.
These species have already proven to grow well in Kurdistan. Since many of them live in symbiosis with certain bacteria, special care has to be taken during the germination to ensure healthy growth. We are of course open to others suggested by the ministry of Agriculture.
So, we ask you Sir, to call for a pre study in which an area is selected as members of your staff that shall cooperate with us.
After that a proper proposal for the Pilot Project is written during the end of November.