How oil fields are poisoning Iraq

07:09

How oil fields are poisoning Iraq

The town of Nahran Omar lies 40km north of Basra, a stone’s throw from an oil well that practises flaring: burning off excess gas produced during oil extraction.

A flare is cheap, but also releases a dangerous cocktail of greenhouse gases and pollutants, contributing to the climate crisis and, according to research, increased instances of diseases including cancer.

The Independent travelled to Iraq to investigate the impact of oil flaring on the people who live there and on the environment.

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