Wameedh Anwar Jaber, Media Officer for the Karbala Environment Directorate, announced that the Directorate, under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, has launched a large-scale tree-planting campaign along the Ya Hussain Route in the holy city of Karbala, in coordination with the Karbala Governorate Municipality.

He explained that the campaign aims to plant 12,000 evergreen, climate-resilient trees along the route leading into Karbala from Najaf, Babylon, and Baghdad. The initiative is designed to enhance vegetation cover, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide shade and environmental protection for pilgrims arriving in Karbala.

Jaber emphasized that such campaigns are a vital pillar in preserving the region’s ecosystem, stressing the importance of collaboration among all relevant departments to ensure the initiative’s success. He added that the Directorate will continue planting trees until the full target is achieved, covering all areas within the administrative boundaries of the Ya Hussain Route.

The Ya Hussain Route is walked annually by millions of pilgrims during the Arbaeen Pilgrimage and stretches between the governorates of Karbala and Najaf.

Riyadh Al-Asadi