On October 20, 2026, the Kurdistan Biodiversity Project was officially launched under the high patronage of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Masrour Barzani, and the President of the Kurdistan Foundation, Mr. Arin Masrour Barzani, with senior government officials and representatives from academic and educational institutions in attendance.

The project marks a pivotal national initiative dedicated to documenting, researching, and conserving Kurdistan’s rich biodiversity, encompassing native, rare, newly recorded, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna. The launch ceremony also unveiled the specialized scientific publication Mammals of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq alongside the project's official digital platform (www.biodiversity.krd), which provides an authoritative reference database on regional biodiversity.

The College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences at the University of Duhok made significant scientific contributions to this national milestone through two distinguished faculty members: Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Mustafa, a board member of the project, and Assistant Lecturer Ibrahim Ziyad Yousif. Together, they enriched the project’s database by contributing thousands of field photographs and comprehensive scientific data on Kurdistan’s plant species, playing an instrumental role in documenting and highlighting the region’s botanical wealth.

This engagement underscores the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences' ongoing dedication to advanced environmental research, biodiversity conservation, and the safeguarding of Kurdistan’s natural heritage.

CAES Information Services Office, October 24, 2026

Reported by: Bilnd Jalal H. Hambi & Sipal Mohammed Taher Yousif