In a distinguished academic atmosphere, Assistant Professor Dr. Mahmoud Ismail Muhammad, a faculty member in the Department of Accounting Studies, participated in the discussion of a master’s thesis entitled “Urban Upgrading of Slums within the Boundaries of the Baghdad Municipality.” The thesis was submitted by student Saif Ahmed Abdullah. The discussion committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Jamal Baqir Mutlaq, and included Assistant Professor Dr. Mahmoud Ismail Muhammad, Dr. Fouad Falih Hassan, and Professor Dr. Arej Khairy Othman as a member and supervisor.
The thesis aimed to identify the planning treatments for slums in Baghdad following the study of Resolution 320 of 2022, clarify the criteria set by the Baghdad Municipality after identifying slums, and create a database for slums within the boundaries of the Baghdad Municipality and another database for the study area to design uses therein. The letter highlighted the worsening phenomenon of informal housing in most Iraqi cities, especially within the boundaries of the Baghdad Municipality. The reason for this expansion and exacerbation is the economic, political, and social conditions and the reluctance to hold violators accountable.
The letter recommended that the phenomenon of informal housing be addressed by decision-makers and that beneficiaries of Resolution 320 of 2022 not be granted ownership until at least 10 years have passed. It also recommended limiting migration toward the city, particularly toward informal housing areas. It also recommended doubling government efforts to prevent encroachments on vacant lots, open spaces, and agricultural areas, and addressing the presence of unused government lands within the boundaries of the master plan to prevent their random and illegal exploitation or seizure by some.
