Many Iraqis, especially from the older generations, hold on to the saying that “summer is the father of the poor.”
This belief stems from the fact that people, particularly those in the impoverished classes, could fulfill their nutritional needs during this season through the abundance of vegetables and fruits before modern agricultural methods, greenhouses, and genetically modified organisms revolutionized crop production, making such produce available even in the harshness of winter.
In bygone decades, most individuals used to make do with simple and rudimentary cooling devices, in contrast to the expensive air conditioning units commonly used today, which poorer families could not afford.
Nowadays, almost everything has changed. The impoverished and others endure long days of unbearable heat that starts around the beginning of June.
In recent years, this scorching weather has extended into early October before the temperatures, which often surpass 50°C on many days during these months, finally start to recede.
Consequently, governmental authorities have been compelled to announce additional official holidays due to the difficulty of venturing out in such extreme temperatures.
While governments and nations can contribute to alleviating the suffering of their citizens from high temperatures through various means, including meeting the population’s electricity needs and increasing the cultivation of trees and green areas, the issue of summer in Iraq, with its severity and harshness, appears to be complex and multi-faceted, defying simple solutions.
The problem stems from a severe decline in green areas, coupled with the major and persistent electricity issue that worsens during the summer, resulting in reduced energy supply to homes and other facilities, sometimes dropping to less than 8 hours per day.
This situation is exacerbated by Iran’s decision to cut off gas supplies that power a significant number of the country’s power stations.
Despite the flow of Iranian gas following the latest allowance granted by the US to Iraq to settle its dues to Tehran, the total energy production (around 24,000 megawatts) falls short of meeting the country’s growing electricity demands, making summer an oppressive season for the population.
