Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Environment – A Case Study of Iraq

COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) has stopped life in Iraq could have an impact on its environment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether this effect is convinced or negative. The implications of COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions, environment researchers and environment in Iraq were studied. The NO2 emissions level in Iraq (Mosul, Kirkuk and Baghdad) was obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The results showed quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the emissions of NO2. Also, environment researchers loosed the opportunity to get practical experiences from laboratories and field courses. Likewise, there is stopping in environmental monitoring research that leads to an absence in determining environmental quality, which causes gap in the environmental data of Iraq. In conclusion, this study can provide a reference for other countries to assess the effect of pandemic on the environment and also to explain to people the interdependence between health and the environment.