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Marshlands in Iraq needs World Heritage Status
By Assam on September 5, 2008
Iraq Marshlands
On Friday, the United Nations (UN) launched a plan to have an ancient wetland in southeast Iraq, listed as a World Heritage Site. The U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) said the Marshlands were of cultural and ecological significance and thought to be the Biblical Garden of Eden. But it had been almost completely drained in the 1990s during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Marshlands are spawning grounds for Gulf fisheries and home to rare bird species like the Sacred Ibis. They also provide a resting spot for thousands of wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa.
But, the wetlands that covered 9,000 square km (3,475 square miles) in the early 1970s had dwindled to just 760 square km (293 square miles) by 2002. So, immediate action is necessary in order to save the rich wetlands.
After Saddam’s downfall locals wrecked many of the dams to let the water rush back in and a $14 million UNEP restoration project prompted the return of thousands of birds and fish. Now, they are planning to put it’s case to the World Heritage Committee in 2010.
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