By Wassim Bassem for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi marsh residents hold tight to their reed homes Many houses in the towns and villages in southern Iraq are made of green reeds. The town of Nasiriyah, which is located 350 […]
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqis are seeking protection from UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee for their southern marshes. But the issue is not just environmental; it’s also about international water politics. When the UNESCO World […]
By John Lee. Iraq sees an average of about two million tourists a year, but a senior adviser to the Iraqi tourism ministry has told AFP that that number could be tripled to six million. The country hosts millions of Shiite Muslims on pilgrimages to its various holy sites, from Samarra in the north, about 125 […]
The 2013 Goldman Environmental Prize has been won by Iraqi engineer Azzam Alwash, for his work on the revival of the Iraqi marshes. Giving up a comfortable living and family life in California, Azzam Alwash returned to war-torn Iraq to lead local communities in restoring the once-lush marshes that were turned to dust bowls during […]
By Matthew Gayle. While attending festival in southern Iraq, Iraqi experts urged the government to declare the Iraqi marshes in that region a national park. The festival was part of a series of activities that the Iraq Nature Organization is developing to lobby the government and international bodies to declare the marches a natural reserve. […]
From Reuters. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Drained by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1990s, Iraq's southern marshlands are undergoing a remarkable transformation. Saddam's attempt to destroy the wetlands came in response to an uprising by Marsh Arabs after the […]
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad hosted a panel discussion with Iraqi government and civil society leaders on January 31 in commemoration of World Wetlands Day. World Wetlands Day is celebrated around the world to promote public awareness of wetlands’ ecological, economical, and social value and benefits. The program featured remarks by Shaimaa Ubaid Karim of […]
Marshes restored after they were drained under Saddam Hussein during the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980's are now under the risk of being completely destroyed due to rising temperatures and drought. Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf reports from Iraq's southern marshes. (Source: Al Jazeera)
According to this report from NIQASH, many believe the original Garden of Eden, as described in both the Koran and Bible, is located in Basra. Increasingly though climate change, water shortages and urban sprawl mean Basra’s farmers are coming to doubt that story. War and conflict have led to the loss of many farms and […]
Under the title, “Rethinking Strategies for a Sustainable Future”, the national conference on the Marshlands was held in Basrah on 6 – 7 June, in order to build a national consensus on the basic principles that will guide future projects and activities in the Marshlands and raise awareness of the prospects for rehabilitating the area. […]
Basra's Investment Commission says it is making efforts to attract local and foreign investors to the Al-Ahwar (The Marshes) areas south of Iraq, according to a report from Aswat al-Iraq. Haidar Ali Fadhil, Director of the Commission, added that all sectors will be considered, but with a focus on tourism and agriculture in particular. The […]
The Maysan [Missan] Provincial Council allocated more than $42 million [49 billion Iraqi dinars] for the development of the province’s marshlands for 2011, a local official said on Thursday. “The ministry of state for the marshes’ affairs have allocated the sum of 49.900 billion dinars to set up service projects in the eastern and western […]
