KHANKE, Iraq — In the wind-swept town of Khanke in northern Iraq, a fragile tree stands as a quiet symbol of resilience. Its slender trunk bends slightly in the dry breeze, its roots gripping soil once strewn with plastic waste. Beneath its shade, a group of women gathers: survivors of war, displacement, and unimaginable loss. Yet here, they are not victims — they are custodians of renewal.

These women, many of them ethnic Yezidis who escaped the 2014 ISIS genocide in Sinjar district, are rebuilding not just their lives, but the landscape around them. Armed with shovels and buckets, they have turned barren spaces into green sanctuaries, planting more than 2,000 trees and nurturing hope in a place where despair once took root.

Their efforts are part of Clean Green, a grassroots environmental initiative founded by Yezidi women determined to restore their surroundings. The project began with just five volunteers in 2023 but has since grown into a network of more than 40 members who plant trees, recycle, and teach children about environmental stewardship.

For Suzan Haskani, a Yezidi woman who fled ISIS at the age of 14, joining Clean Green brought purpose. “When I first arrived in Khanke, I wasn’t thinking about trees or cleaning,” she says. “I was thinking about safety, like everyone else.”

That sense of safety, however, feels fragile. Even as some displaced families now mull returning to Sinjar, they say their homeland has changed. “Even if Sinjar was safe, people can’t farm like before,” says Zozan Basin Shekho, a founder of Clean Green. “The rain doesn’t come anymore, and the land is dry.”

In response, the group has planted hardy trees like orange (Citrus sinensis), olive (Olea europaea) and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) in Khanke, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Sinjar. These are species chosen to withstand Iraq’s shifting climate, and along Khanke’s streets they’ve created pockets of green that soften the harsh winds and reduce dust. “The trees are more than plants,” Shekho says. “They’re a reminder that something can still grow here.”

For these women, restoring the earth is about more than planting trees — it’s about reclaiming control in a world that once left them powerless. In a region battered by drought and desertification, their work offers a rare lifeline for both the soil and the people who remain rooted to it.

The Yezidis, a religious minority primarily based in northern Iraq, have long faced hardship. In a majority Muslim region, they follow an ancient faith rooted in Zoroastrianism and have endured centuries of persecution. The most devastating blow came in 2014, when ISIS militants launched a brutal campaign of genocide against them. Thousands of Yezidi men were killed, while women and girls were abducted, enslaved, and subjected to horrific abuse — a violent campaign designed to erase their identity. The violence left deep scars on the survivors, who have since struggled to rebuild their communities amid ongoing trauma and displacement.

Today, despite the defeat of ISIS, the Yezidi community continues to face significant challenges. Thousands of women and children remain missing, and those who survived grapple with trauma and a lack of mental health support. In Sinjar, reconstruction efforts have been slow, and ongoing political tensions between the Iraqi government, Kurdish authorities and local militias have created instability. This has left many Yezidis unable to return home, further compounding their suffering. Discrimination, limited economic opportunities, and a lack of educational resources continue to hinder the community’s recovery.

For those still displaced, environmental work, like Clean Green, has become a way to reclaim purpose, mend the land, and assert their role as stewards of Iraq’s fragile environment. Planting trees and recycling waste is not just a practical solution; it’s a quiet act of defiance against the destruction they’ve endured.

Women’s barriers and climate change

In Iraq, climate change has intensified environmental challenges such as drought, desertification and water scarcity. Northern Iraq is experiencing significant climatic shifts characterized by rising temperatures and decreased precipitation. A 2022 report by the Norwegian Refugee Council highlights that Iraq is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, with worsening drought conditions exacerbating existing environmental challenges.

The Kurdistan region, for instance, has lost approximately 50% of its forests over the last 70 years, primarily due to water scarcity, rising temperatures and irregular rainfall patterns. In Khanke and Sinjar, illegal logging and land degradation driven by conflict and displacement have contributed to the forest loss. Years of instability have left forests vulnerable, with families often resorting to tree-cutting for firewood as a survival strategy. In some cases, military operations have further scarred the landscape, with forests deliberately cleared or burned during conflict.

In recent years, fire has emerged as another major threat. Across the Kurdistan region, fires have damaged nearly 290,000 hectares (about 717,000 acres) over the past 14 years. The loss of tree cover has contributed to soil erosion, worsened dust storms, and reduced the land’s ability to retain precious rainfall — a devastating blow to communities already struggling with water scarcity. The Tigris-Euphrates river system, which accounts for 98% of Iraq’s surface water, has seen flows decrease by 30-40% over the past four decades. It’s projected that by 2050 precipitation will decrease by 9% and mean annual temperatures will rise by 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit), exacerbating water shortages and agricultural challenges, according to the Atlantic Council.

These climatic changes have led to reduced water availability, adversely affecting agriculture and livelihoods. A 2024 report by the Norwegian Refugee Council emphasizes that Iraq’s water infrastructure, compromised by decades of conflict, is ill-equipped to handle current and future challenges, with approximately 70% of farmers still relying on inefficient flood irrigation methods amid acute water shortages.

In response, reforestation can be a vital strategy. Trees play a crucial role in improving air circulation, preventing soil erosion and enhancing soil fertility. Forests also act as significant water catchment areas, holding moisture and attracting rainfall, which is essential for combating drought and desertification in arid regions. Additionally, trees provide thermal comfort through shading and evaporative cooling, offering protection from extreme heat and contributing to the overall resilience of ecosystems in hot, arid regions.

Yet reforestation efforts aren’t just about the environment; they’ve also created unexpected social shifts. Crucially, the initiative has opened new opportunities for Yezidi women, many of whom were previously restricted by social expectations.

“In our culture, women usually stayed at home,” Shekho says, adding that, “At first, people laughed at us. Some even said it was shameful for women to be outside working and picking up trash. But now, they ask if their daughters can join us.”

For some women, joining the initiative marked their first opportunity to work outside the home.

“Before, we were just survivors,” Shekho says. “Now, we are activists.”

Despite resistance from within their own communities, these women have taken on leadership roles, helping to restore damaged forests and protect their environment. Their efforts demonstrate that environmental action can also challenge deeply ingrained social norms, proving that resilience in the face of climate change is not just about adapting ecosystems, but empowering communities as well.

From survival to sustainability

In addition to reforestation, the group has established workshops to teach children about the environment and the dangers of pollution. They organize large-scale cleanup campaigns, addressing the pervasive issue of plastic waste. By recycling plastic into useful products, they help tackle pollution and promote sustainability. The recycling program, which began as a side project, has grown significantly.

Group members collect plastic waste from homes and transform it into decorative items, such as flowerpots and ornaments, often featuring motifs from Yezidi culture.

“For many of them, it is not just about trees or trash — it’s about rebuilding their community’s identity and healing from trauma,” Shekho says.

Their work has attracted the attention of local authorities, with government officials visiting their project sites and expressing support for their environmental efforts. While this recognition has encouraged the group, the volunteers stress that their success remains largely dependent on personal dedication and limited resources.

While grassroots initiatives like Clean Green have shown success in reforestation efforts, the scale of Iraq’s environmental crisis demands far greater government involvement. With deforestation accelerating across the Kurdistan region, and northern Iraq facing severe drought conditions, tree-planting campaigns alone can’t reverse the environmental damage, according to a 2024 report.

To address these mounting challenges, larger-scale investments in climate adaptation strategies — such as modern irrigation systems, comprehensive reforestation campaigns, and sustainable water management — are urgently needed, according to a report by the Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines. Without such support, grassroots efforts may struggle to make a lasting impact.

Despite these obstacles, Clean Green’s volunteers say they remain hopeful. They say their growing movement can inspire both government agencies and international donors to take stronger action to restore Iraq’s vulnerable landscapes.

For the women leading the initiative, their work carries a deeper purpose — one rooted in the hope of returning home.

“One day, we will return,” Shekho says. “And when we do, we will plant trees again. Because trees are life, and we deserve life.”

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