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Iraq is the worlds second-worst offender of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank

Iraq is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, as residents in the southern city of Basra are dealing with a significant amount of air pollution as a result of nearby oil fields.

The flames that burn in the oil fields of Iraq are known as gas flaring - burning off the natural gas during oil extraction, a common practice as old as the oil industry, i24NEWS reported.

However, it is also one of the biggest polluters, and Iraq is the worlds second-worst offender according to the World Bank, contributing roughly 10 percent of the global flaring greenhouse emissions.

Oil is a major driver for the climate crisis, but residents in Basra - which sits on some of the worlds largest oil reserves - say it is also the cause of a local environmental disaster.

The mayor of a village in the Basra province noted that cancer cases, as well as respiratory illnesses, are rising at an alarming rate.

He added that in one village alone, there are about 40 cancer cases in 130 households, many of them children.

Officials from Iraqs Environment Ministry say that everything, from the remnants of war to industrial waste, contributes to Basras pollution.

However, the oil industry is the mother of all pollution in Basra and other provinces, Faiza al-Rbaiae of the Environment Ministry told i24NEWS.

The Iraqi Oil Ministry claims that it is shifting towards green and clean energy, and Iraqpledged to eliminate all routine gas flaring by 2030.

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Iraq: Oil Fields Taking Toll On Environment And Community - I24NEWS - i24NEWS