By bne Gulf bureau Iraq has announced a plan to plant 10mn palm saplings and various trees across Baghdad and other provinces as part of a government initiative to tackle the growing issue of desertification in the country. Although not a new phenomenon, Iraq has seen an increase in deadly sandstorms in recent years. A few decades ago, the country experienced dust or sandstorms once or twice a year; however, more recently the frequency of storms has increased despite warnings from international bodies. These events, although a common occurrence, have led to the deaths of thousands of people wi…