These marshes were a natural refuge for many aquatic organisms, especially fish and birds. Using newly available iraqi government archives, this paper argues that the destruction of the marshes was the result of a complex interplay between sectarianism, development planning, and security imperatives. Iraqi american environmentalist azzam alwash and nature iraq, the group he founded, have set up an ecocamp in the heart of the marshes. The restoration of the iraqi marshlands is a vital environmental and development priority. Iraqs marsh arabs test the waters as wetlands ruined by.
Iraq using art, environmental design, and wastewater to create a restorative. In 2011, sam kubba published the iraqi marshlands and the marsh arabs. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Some researchers claim that in about 5,0004,000 bc. Save the tigris and iraqi marshes campaign strategy meeting. Bioindicator mercury of aquatic ecosystems in iraqi. Aug 02, 20 mesopotamian marshlands declared iraqs first national park. A confluence of nature and culture, art and ecology, in the s. The southern iraqi marshland is the central habitat for freshwater fish, provides habitat for important populations of wildlife and serves as a source of income for native economies through reed. The wetlands, which supports about 40 species of birds, is an important migratory stop as they fly from siberia to africa.
Jul 28, 2015 using newly available iraqi government archives, this paper argues that the destruction of the marshes was the result of a complex interplay between sectarianism, development planning, and security imperatives. Conserving and restoring the iconic marshes of southern iraq. For unep we carried out a global comparative analysis of the iraqi marshlands for biological diversity and institutional management as part of the nomination of the mesopotamian marshlands as a world. Salmanb a university of petra, amman, jordan b university of basrah, basrah, iraq abstract iraqi southern marshes form a large triangular region bounded by three major southern cities. Mesopotamian marshlands declared iraqs first national park ens. This twovolume report, management plan for the hawizeh marsh ramsar site of iraq has been prepared for the iraq national marshes and wetlands committee inmwc to assist the government of iraq in its implementation of national ramsar convention responsibilities. Missan governorate is to the northeast, while thi qar is to the southwest.
Iraqi marshlands observation system unep technical report. Bbc earth news restoring iraqs wetland marshes to the. It is a rare aquatic landscape in the desert, providing habitat for the marsh arabs and. Biodiversity and ecosystem management in the iraqi marshlands. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Boskalis and wetlands international to explore the potential of blue carbon. Centre for the restoration of the iraqi marshlands, ministry of water. Jul 18, 2016 the wetlands, which supports about 40 species of birds, is an important migratory stop as they fly from siberia to africa. Save the tigris and iraqi marshes is a civil society advocacy campaign that was started in march 2012 by a coalition of iraqi and international nongovernmental organisations to save the world heritage on the tigris river from the impacts of dams and other destructive megaprojects. With a total area of 7,750 km2, the mesopotamian marshes near the border between iraq and iran provide habitats for millions of birds and most of the commercial fisheries in this region. Background converted digitized rasters into polygons in order to add a field and used calculate geometry to compute area in sqkm. Iraqs marshlands bloom again, restoring traditional way of life. Beginning in the 1990s, human activities such as war, dam construction, restoration, and water supply diversions significantly influenced the ecosystems.
Draining of portions of the marshes began in the 1950s and continued thr. Pdf iraqi marshlands observation system researchgate. The iraqi government assault on the marsh arabs human rights. In the marshlands, another face of iraq those living in the mesopotamian marshes escape threats posed elsewhere in iraq by isis and militias, but.
The mesopotamian marshes was home to an indigenous population of marsh dwellers, commonly called the marsh arabs or madans, who have a special place in the anthropological and cultural literature. Iraqi marshlands named as unesco world heritage site. The majority of the former marsh area had dried out and turned into thick salt crusts. The ramsar convention or the convention on wetlands of. Mesopotamian marshlands declared iraqs first national park. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The regime built dikes, soil embankments, and canals to divert water and. Status of water birds in restored southern iraqi marshes. The drafting of this report was led by nature iraq during the septembr 2007 to. Because of their environmental, hydrological and meteorological conditions they form an unique ecosystem, that allows aquatic biota to flourish. However, reflooding additional areas and providing for long. Iraqs southern marshes something special to be conserved. Al basrah, the regions dominant metropolitan area, is also the countrys second largest city and major port map 1.
Jul 19, 2016 iraqi american environmentalist azzam alwash and nature iraq, the group he founded, have set up an ecocamp in the heart of the marshes. This april, a few weeks after pournelle took southern iraqi doctoral students to south carolinas marshes, she arranged for morris to ride through basras remaining marshes on a skiff. To flush out the guerrillas and punish the tribesmen who had helped them, the dictator drained the marshes. Mesopotamian marshlands declared iraqs first national. Nevertheless, saddam husseins plans for the marshes were related to marshes use as a hiding ground for iraqi outlaws, dissidents, and opponents of the regime. Calculated areas were used to explore marshland reduction over time 1946. Drought strikes garden of eden marshes in iraq circle. Series of conferences, exhibits, work on regardening eden. Management plan for the hawizeh marsh ramsar site of iraq. It is a rare aquatic landscape in the desert, providing habitat for the marsh arabs and important populations of wildlife. Iraq s southern marshes something special to be conserved. Water buffalo, for which the marshes have provided a longtime favorable habitat, were affected.
At stake is a unique ecosystem that for millennia has sustained a vibrant and diverse wildlife, as well as the extraordinary way of life evolved by the marsh arabs. This study was conducted to indicate mercury of the iraqi marshes by a software program using geographic information. The marshes of southern iraq were the largest wetlands in southwest asia and covered more than 15000 km 2. The iraqi marshes are located in the lower mesopotamian basin, in the vast floodplain wetlands created by the tigriseuphrates river system. Twelve years ago, iraqi dictator saddam hussein ordered the destruction of the marshes in retaliation for an uprising against his regime. The draining of the marshes of southern iraq, now being carried out by saddam hussein in an attempt to drive out dissident marsh arabs, is not a new plan. Iraqi forces had learned to use portable dams and sluices to dryout the marshes, allowing advances by iraqi mechanized forces.
Background southern iraqi marsh desiccation was an environmental disaster that severely impacted a variety of species. The marshlands used to be the largest wetland ecosystem in western eurasia, representing a rare aquatic landscape in the desert and providing a habitat for important populations of wildlife. Iraqi marsh status report 2003 duke nicholas school. Jan 18, 2011 with the marshes virtually destroyed the wildlife populations collapsed. A confluence of nature and culture, art and ecology, in. Within a decade, the former marshes had almost disappeared. The iraqi council of ministers approved the designation on july 23. Success criteria concern the planning of environmental programs which combine activities bringing the. This action displaced 200,000 to 250,000 madan marsh arabs and severely harmed an important ecosystem.
A woman collects water from prosperity river in basrah marshlands of iraq source. Iraqs southern marshes, by far the middle easts most important wetlands, are under threat again. The restoration potential of the mesopotamian marshes of iraq. In the marshlands, another face of iraq the new york times. Then, in the 1990s, the marshes became a political pawn. Mar 21, 2014 this video introduces the beauty, people, culture, and historic significance of the iraqi marshes in the iraqi southeast, between the tigris and the euphrates rivers a civilisation of marsh. This video introduces the beauty, people, culture, and historic significance of the iraqi marshes in the iraqi southeast, between the tigris and the euphrates rivers a civilisation of marsh.
Reversing saddams ecocide of iraqi marshes harvard gazette. Status of water birds in restored southern iraqi marshes j. Once described as the place of earthly paradise and source of life, the garden of eden marshes in southern iraq threaten to become a cracked relic of a dying nature. Save the tigris and iraqi marshes campaign strategy. Bbc news middle east iraq marshes face grave new threat. Report of the united nations integrated water task force for iraq. The mesopotamian marshes were once the largest wetlands in the middle east and western eurasia. Jul 18, 2016 unesco has named iraqi marshlands once ravaged by dictator saddam hussein as a world heritage site, a bright spot for a country where jihadists have repeatedly sought to wipe out history the. Restoration activities summary during the 1990s, saddam hussein drained approximately 90% of the iraqi marshes. Iraqi government and its developing security elements. The international coalition of the save the tigris and the iraqi marshes campaign welcomes the achievement accomplished by the national iraqi team for the nomination of the iraqi marshes to the world heritage committee, according to the 1972 world heritage convention. Iraqs marshlands bloom again, restoring traditional way. The economy of the iraq marshes in the 1990s alexander tkachenko.
The politics of reconstructing iraq mit opencourseware. Historically the marshlands, mainly composed of the separate but adjacent central, hawizeh and hammar marshes, used to be the largest wetland ecosystem of western eurasia. Efforts to rehabilitate the marshes have returned water to about 40% of the former marshland. Nov 05, 2004 scientists fight to save iraqs marshes. The former approach provided by dryzek can be seen in the attitude towards the iraqi marshes employed by the british in the 1950s see e. In the 1970s, the marshes covered between 15,000 and 20,000 km2 of water surface and vegetation.
By the end of 1991, the iraqi army had started to destroy villages and remove inhabitants. Bioindicator mercury of aquatic ecosystems in iraqi marshland. Save the tigris and iraqi marshes campaign strategy meeting report erbil, may 1012, 2015 1. Stricken with a severe drought in iraq and neighboring countries, the region the suspected site of. Scientists fight to save iraqs marshes nov 5, 2004. Conserving and restoring the iconic marshes of southern. The inland freshwater bodies in iraq cover between 600 000 and 700 000 ha, made up of marshes 44%, natural lakes 39%, dams and reservoirs.
Iraqi marshes, second step towards the world heritage. Ecocide and genocide in the iraqi marshlands wit press. Agenda more than 20 participants, international and from all over iraq gathered in erbil, iraq for the. Revisiting the iraqi marshlands duwc director says restoration efforts are progressing, but the record is mixed hen duke university wetland center director curtis richardson visited iraq in february and march 2004 to assess strategies for restoring parts of a decimated wetlandhis second such visit since the fall of saddam husseinhe. Jul, 2014 this april, a few weeks after pournelle took southern iraqi doctoral students to south carolinas marshes, she arranged for morris to ride through basras remaining marshes on a skiff. Salmanb a university of petra, amman, jordan b university of basrah, basrah, iraq abstract iraqi southern marshes form a large triangular region bounded by. Marsh arabs and draining of iraqi wetlands, iraq ejatlas. Water buffalo in the iraqi marshes page 4 introduction 1. London the marsh arabs have been in a situation of forced migration since the earlymid 1990s, a forced migrant being defined roughly as someone who is forced to leave his or her home because of a real or perceived threat to life or wellbeing reed et al, 1998. Iraq marshes professors meridel rubenstein and peer sathikh, drs. Oct 28, 2004 reversing saddams ecocide of iraqi marshes.
But since the fall of saddam there has been a concerted effort to restore the marshes and reestablish both the wildlife and the marsh arab way of life. Two years of field research by iraqi and american scientists concluded that there had been a remarkable rate of reestablishment of native macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, fish, and birds in reflooded marshes. Iraqi marshlands screening study on potential world heritage nomination. Eightyfive stations were studied, some of which appear to overlap with others in this image. Fish assemblage of restored alhawizeh marsh, southern iraq. Iraqs marsh arabs test the waters as wetlands ruined by saddam are reborn in the countrys southern marshes, the government is helping families to. There are over 58 freshwater fish species in iraqi inland waters, about a further 53 marine species penetrating. Change detection and impact of climate changes to iraqi. Fish assemblage of restored alhawizeh marsh, southern. Unesco has named iraqi marshlands once ravaged by dictator saddam hussein as a world heritage site, a bright spot for a country where jihadists have repeatedly sought to wipe out history the. The plan of action for the marshes was in fact linked to the wish to control iranian intruders, who entered iraq through the marshes mitchell, 2003. It was his first trip to iraq, and he accompanied pournelle there to assess the feasibility of bringing back the marshes and gauge iraqis will to do so.
Reversing saddams ecocide of iraqi marshes president summers announces groundbreaking partnership. Jan 18, 2017 iraqs marsh arabs test the waters as wetlands ruined by saddam are reborn in the countrys southern marshes, the government is helping families to rebuild their floating communities, 25 years. The design and study department of crimw center for restoration of iraqi marshes and wetlands of the ministry of water resources assigned to sgi studio galli ingegneria the contract, nature iraq as a subcontract, for developing the national atlas of marshes and wetlands in iraq according to the requirement of the ramsar convention. The two rivers flow southeast from the mountains in southern turkey and merge about twentynine kilometers northwest of the persian gulf. The issue of the marshes is related to cultural and. Rory stewart described the marsh arabs and his experiences as deputy governor in the maysan province 20032004 in his 2006 book, the prince of the marshes also published under the title occupational hazards. The garden of eden becomes a unesco world heritage site. Visitors can stay in modernized reed houses, go out on. In the face of this opposition, however, president bush believed that deploying more u. However, the lack of connectedness among the various reflooded marshes remained a concern for species diversity and local extinction. Researchers who studied the history of marshlands claim that in about 5,0004,000 bc, the marshlands were covered by a lagoonal marine environment. The marshes formed from annual flood pulses of the tigris and euphrates rivers. Merging the spectral bands of images for the study area to obtained composite.
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