As the sun beats down on Iraq, most people swelter in their concrete homes - but not the inhabitants of one mountain town known for its ancient and cool stone houses. Tracing its roots back 2,700 years, the picturesque Kurdish town of Akre says it is better adapted to the modern-day perils of climate change than other parts of Iraq. "Stone houses are far more resistant" to the rising temperatures and also preserve the town's unique character, said Mayor Baland Reda Zubair. Video: AFP "Cement radiates heat, raises temperatures and affects the environment," said Zubair of the building material that is allowed only in outlying neighbourhoods. Many of Akre's narrow alleyways can only be navigated by donkeys and wind through a historic city centre bathed in the pale yellow and brown hues of the locally quarried stone. Oil-rich Iraq is the world's fifth-most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. The Kurdistan region where Akre lies suffers from heat and water scarcity like the rest of the country. But while Iraqi authorities have done little to address the challenges, Akre, a city of 100,000 residents about 500 kilometres (311 miles)...
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