In a plant nursery in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, hundreds of saplings grow under awnings protecting them from the fierce summer sun. The nursery in Sarchinar in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah is part of efforts to battle the destructive effects of deforestation in the region. "Most of the impacts have occurred due to climate change, decreased rainfall, and rising temperatures. Another part is due to wars in the border areas, and yet another part is because of economic conditions," says a local official. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES