At a Glance

• Slemani's gardeners are working to keep the city's green identity alive.

• Their numbers keep falling while their workload grows.

• No new workers have been hired to replace those who left.

Despite heavy demands and shrinking staff, Slemani's gardeners are refusing to let the city's green identity fade.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Staffing Decline: Within the past four years, 321 gardeners and municipal workers have retired or passed away, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has appointed no replacements. — Official statistics.

• Green Coverage: The city's green coverage has reached 23.6%, exceeding global standards. — Official statistics.

• Focus Area: The shortage of gardeners in Slemani and the growing workload of maintaining the city's public green spaces.

In Azadi Park, the workforce has dropped from 170 workers when the park opened to just 60 today, a nearly threefold decrease, even as green spaces have grown and responsibilities have increased.

The shortage is mirrored across all public gardens in the city. The remaining workers maintain 529 public gardens, seven major parks, and 85 central medians, all of which require continuous upkeep.

FYI

Green spaces in cities help cool temperatures, reduce dust, and improve residents' quality of life, but they depend on year-round labor for watering, pruning, and cleaning.

Slemani is widely known as one of the greenest cities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, and its parks are among its main public gathering places.

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