BirdLife International partner – Nature Iraq

Founded in 2004, Nature Iraq works to protect and restore Iraq’s environment and the rich cultural heritage it supports. The organisation strengthens environmental governance by building institutional capacity, developing scientific evidence on environmental conditions, promoting public awareness, and encouraging the sustainable management of Iraq’s natural resources. It is BirdLife International’s partner in Iraq. 

The African-Eurasian Flyway stretches from the Arctic to southern Africa and is one of four major global migration routes for birds. Often described as ‘avian superhighways’, these pathways are traversed by billions of birds each year, including species like Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagle, and Sociable Lapwing. But key sites along the flyway are under threat from habitat loss, illegal hunting, and climate change. Losing these places would have serious consequences for the birds that rely on them to rest, refuel, and breed.  

ERF’s support of Nature Iraq is part of their £7.5 million grant to BirdLife International’s African-Eurasian Flyway grant which supports habitat restoration and protection work in Romania, Bulgaria, Iraq, Jordan, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe, alongside efforts to grow nature-based economies and jobs. It will also strengthen rapid-response action against harmful developments and help operationalise the ground-breaking collaboration between BirdLife and the World Bank.