Patricia Zurita, CEO, BirdLife International
​This work represents one of the largest environmental surveys to ever take place in the Middle East. Since the completion of the surveys, Nature Iraq and its local and international partners, including BirdLife, have worked to assess the data collected and have identified 82 areas that are globally significant for their biological diversity. The Iraqi scientists who participated in this effort deserve a lot of credit for braving hard field conditions, not to mention security threats, to advance the conservation of critical biodiversity harbored in Iraq.
Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International
Knowing where is the highest concentration of biodiversity and threatened wildlife, is a key component of the smart and responsible land use planning needed to preserve our natural capital and embrace truly sustainable development. This work also unveils the extraordinary natural richness of Iraq, something the Iraqi people should be proud of and the international community should help preserve. A great contribution to fulfilling what is our most existential aspiration and challenge: live in harmony with Nature.
Joy Zedler, Ph.D., Aldo Leopold Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wow! I had no idea how biologically diverse Iraq is, at both national and local scales! This contribution from Iraqi scientists and conservationists sets a high bar for inventorying potential Key Biodiversity Areas, then describing and illustrating the 82 sites that met selection criteria. The highlights of the book are the 82 “fact sheets,” each with a color photo, map, detailed rapid assessment data that justified their selection, and lists of threats to rare species survival.
Brian Coad, Research Associate, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa
This work is the result of many years of effort, combining local and international expertise. It provides a fundamental background for understanding the biodiversity of Iraq and for the management of key areas. The Key Biodiversity Areas were assessed using mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, fish, invertebrate and plant data. Conservation and education now have the information needed to protect and understand the natural environment in Iraq.