Open Access Nawar A, J Glob Econ 2016, 4:1 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2375-4389.1000182 Volume 4 • Issue 1 • 1000182 J Glob Econ ISSN: 2375-4389 Economics, an open access journal Research Article Open Access Journal of Global Economics J o u r n a l o f G l o b a l E c o n o m i c s ISSN: 2375-4389 $ *Corresponding author: Nawar A, Department of Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania, Tel: +40724249817; E-mail: dr.nawar30@yahoo.com Received November 27, 2015; Accepted March 01, 2016; Published March 04, 2016 Citation: Nawar A (2016) Environmental Issues Concerning the Economic Development of Tourism in Iraq. J Glob Econ 4: 182. doi:10.4172/2375-4389.1000182 Copyright: © 2016 Nawar A. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Environmental Issues Concerning the Economic Development of Tourism in Iraq Nawar A* Department of Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania Keywords: Environment; Development; Tourism sector; Iraq Introduction Given the presence of natural resources and beautiful scenery (e.g. mountains, oceans, rivers, deserts, marshes), environment is nowadays is one of the most important tourist attractions as it both contains elements of entertainment and constitutes a base for tourism. Tis allows the practice of several types of tourism in diferent environments, like skiing and hiking in the mountains, rafing and kayaking on rivers, scuba diving in oceans, desert tours and safaris in deserts [1]. Te tourism industry is productive and efective with a signifcant positive impact on all aspects of environmental economics at both a national and a regional level. It is also a mainstay and an important tool in achieving the goals of comprehensive and sustainable development. It contributes to the promotion of economic growth and it supports the diversifcation of the base of the national economy, as well as it seeks to increase the level of income. It reduces unemployment, stimulates and attracts investment in tourism facilities and services that maintain an ecological balance in the practice of tourism [2]. Within the context of environmental policy, the importance and special characteristic of the relationship between the environment and the tourism industry is given by the fact that the latter relies strongly on the quality of the former. Tis allows the creation of a product that suits the demands of tourists who are seeking attractive and unpolluted places to visit [3]. During the last three decades, Iraq has sufered many wars and sustained several environmental problems. Te deterioration of the tourism sector in Iraqi was caused by depleted uranium (DU) pollution in many regions, whose efects are harmful for public health. DU is a highly carcinogenic agent which results in poisoning and increased incidence of various cancers types and birth defects. Approximately 1,200 tones of ammunition were dropped on Iraq grounds during the Gulf Wars in 1991. As a result, contamination occurred in more than 350 sites in Iraq, which subsequently led to a major environmental pollution that, in exchange, constituted a major threat to tourists wanting to visit Iraq. Methodology Iraq is rich in both natural and anthropic elements which are considered the basis of the tourism development. Te main question that rises is how natural evolution did and past events in Iraq infuence the dimension and structure of tourism? Te main hypothesis is that an important role in the drastic diminishing of tourism is greatly related to the degradation of the natural and the anthropic tourism attractions due to the lack of proper resources to protect them, and to reintegrate them in the real tourism industry. Tese restrictive elements are, of course, connected to others; especially those are represented by the increase of insecurity, imposed restrictions by the terrorism or by religion. Our analysis was solely directed towards the relationships between some of the environmental issues and the tourism development. In this respect we used some statistical data provided by the Ministry of Environment and by the Ministry of Tourism, as well as by diferent central and regional agencies. At the same time, we used diferent maps to comparatively display the spatial tendencies of the phenomena afecting the tourism. Te maps show some areas that either were contaminated by uranium, afer the frst war, or were areas strongly afected by desertifcation. Te relationship between the environmental issues and the tourism development constitutes the center of this approach. Te complexity and its mutual character of this relation are obviously. Te environmental conditions have an important potential of attraction when not polluted and ofer an exotic landscapes, facilitating the tourism development. Concurrently, the tourists may negatively infuence the environment through their activities, since the latter are connected to the local infrastructure. Results and Discussion Our analysis individualized some important environmental obstacles for the further development of tourism in Iraq. Such kind of obstacles is represented by uranium pollution, other types of Abstract Environmental pollution is one of the main factors that stand as an obstacle in the development of the tourism sector. In Iraq, within the last three decades, this issue has had signifcant impacts on the ecological, economic and social sectors, particularly on the tourism sector. Within the context of a structural adjustment, our frst purpose is to look at how the relationship between the economic development, the environmental protection and tourism progresses , while reviewing key elements of the relationship between tourism and the environment, with particular reference to the environmental impacts of tourism in Iraq. Following a general overview of the importance of the environment for tourism, a brief review concerning the diffculties of monitoring environmental changes and managing tourism effects in destination areas is presented. Finally, several key questions and research subjects needing further consideration have been identifed.