Zainab Al-Mousawi
This article examines the paradox of a matrix composed of International Organizations (IOs) and the subsequent interactions among regional stakeholders and states in the realm of natural reserve conservation in the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Indonesia, with a special focus on a juxtaposed legal comparison. The researcher unravels the equivocal role of natural inhabitants, who act as collaborators in protected natural territories, though highlighting scarce attention in academia. The case of rivers Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq, whose flora and fauna were severely affected by the post-2003 invasion, is highlighted and juxtaposed with Batu Katak, Sumatra, Indonesia, where the Green Life Project has been established next to Gunung Leuser National Park as a Private Protected Area. These landmark regions possess non-congruent organizational structures and circumventions placed on activities by homo sapiens, causing obstacles to UNESCO initiatives to develop a seamless experience through coordination with local Authorities in conservation projects, research initiatives, and international tourism, which are tantamount to sparing achievements. The researcher employs insights from a juxtaposed legal analysis to discuss how regulatory roles at the national, regional, and grassroots levels regress or develop the nomenclature of natural conservation in these two non-congruent countries. This article further explores the contributions to the exponential environmental degradation of natural reserves through environmental regulations, by expanding an interlocutory comparison between Iraq and Indonesia, emphasizing the dynamic relationships between local and State Governments in conserving nature, and considering evaluations of environmental regulatory practices in both countries.