Halgurd-Sakran

Halgurd-Sakran National Park lies around Choman in eastern Erbil province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on the Iranian border^[1]. It has two halves either side of Choman: the northern half is dominated by Mount Halgurd, Iraq's tallest mountain, and the southern half, Sakran, borders the Qandil Mountains^[1].

The mountains are home to Persian leopards, brown bears and wild goats. Poaching and hunting remain ongoing problems^[1].

The park has forests and mountain streams. A survey by the Kurdistan Botanical Foundation found about 1,500 to 1,700 plant species, many of them endemic and some newly discovered^[1].

The park is high Zagros mountain terrain. Mount Halgurd rises to about 3,600 m, and Lake Bekodyan, at about 3,200 m, is the highest lake in Iraq^[1].

At these altitudes the high peaks and lakes are reached mainly in summer, when about 1,000 people visit each year^[1].

More than 50 villages lie within the park boundaries and 60 percent of the land is privately owned^[1]. Landmines laid in the 1980s Iran-Iraq war still maim or kill people each year^[1].

Former Choman mayor Abdulwahid Gwani conceived the park in 2010 and secured a $12 million funding pledge, built a visitor centre, hired rangers and cleared landmines^[1]. A 2011 Council of Ministers regulation called for a management committee, but work stalled from 2014 and the committee was never established^[1].

Mount Halgurd, Lake Bekodyan and Fellaw Pond, a popular spot near the road, are the main attractions^[1].

The road into the Sakran half is winding and potholed, and resorts cater mainly to day visitors; there are no restaurants^[1]. Parts of the park, including areas near the Iranian border, are off-limits because of mines, and Lake Bekodyan lies in PKK-controlled territory^[1].

The park has no formal management or funding; a temporary local board led by Choman's mayor has banned tree cutting and sand mining but cannot stop house construction^[1]. Threats include poaching, illegal logging, sand mining, littering, wildfires and off-road driving, which has damaged the area around Fellaw Pond^[1].