Thread: Positive News

BASRA, Iraq, June 7, 2006 — The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources inherited what it calls one of the world's greatest environmental catastrophes from the former regime - the parched Mesopotamian marshes in southern Iraq.

"We are delighted with the interest shown by the local, national and international stakeholders in the restoration of the Iraqi marshlands."

Dr. Latif Rashid, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources

Marsh Arabs have been living among the southern wetlands for thousands of years, making their homes from abundant reeds and mud. They sell the reeds, catch fish from long wooden boats and herd water-buffalo to sustain themselves.

Fed by the Tigres and Euphrates rivers, the giant wetlands once stretched for more than 6,200 square-miles.

When Saddam Hussein seized power in the early 1970s, he began ordering small sections of the wetland drained to make room for military factories, chemical plants and other industry.

The ancient marshes fell victim to the regime once again during the Iran-Iraq war, beginning in 1980, and were drained even further because of the land's perceived tactical value.

The biggest impact on the marshes came at the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991. Hussein gave the order to drain the marshes completely in retribution for the Shia uprising against the regime. The huge cost of draining the marshes put a burden on Iraq's economy, and the environmental impact on the marshes' eco-system was disastrous. Certain types of birds, fish and plants normally found in the marshes rapidly disappeared.

By 1996, the marshes were reduced to less than 10 percent of their pre-1991 size. More than 100,000 people who depended on the marshes to live were forced to relocate, and many migrated to neighboring Iran where a portion of the marshes were still intact.

“The (Iraqi) parliament knows the damage the previous regime caused to the environment,” said Salima Inseel, head of the marshland department of the Ministry of Environment. She said the receded marshes, along with pollution from factories in the area, have led to unseasonably warmer temperatures in....Work Continues to Restore Iraqi Marshlands - DefendAmerica News Article

Originally Posted by Sparta

BASRA, Iraq, June 7, 2006 — The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources inherited what it calls one of the world's greatest environmental catastrophes from the former regime - the parched Mesopotamian marshes in southern Iraq.

"We are delighted with the interest shown by the local, national and international stakeholders in the restoration of the Iraqi marshlands."

Dr. Latif Rashid, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources

Marsh Arabs have been living among the southern wetlands for thousands of years, making their homes from abundant reeds and mud. They sell the reeds, catch fish from long wooden boats and herd water-buffalo to sustain themselves.

Fed by the Tigres and Euphrates rivers, the giant wetlands once stretched for more than 6,200 square-miles.

When Saddam Hussein seized power in the early 1970s, he began ordering small sections of the wetland drained to make room for military factories, chemical plants and other industry.

The ancient marshes fell victim to the regime once again during the Iran-Iraq war, beginning in 1980, and were drained even further because of the land's perceived tactical value.

The biggest impact on the marshes came at the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991. Hussein gave the order to drain the marshes completely in retribution for the Shia uprising against the regime. The huge cost of draining the marshes put a burden on Iraq's economy, and the environmental impact on the marshes' eco-system was disastrous. Certain types of birds, fish and plants normally found in the marshes rapidly disappeared.

By 1996, the marshes were reduced to less than 10 percent of their pre-1991 size. More than 100,000 people who depended on the marshes to live were forced to relocate, and many migrated to neighboring Iran where a portion of the marshes were still intact.

“The (Iraqi) parliament knows the damage the previous regime caused to the environment,” said Salima Inseel, head of the marshland department of the Ministry of Environment. She said the receded marshes, along with pollution from factories in the area, have led to unseasonably warmer temperatures in....Work Continues to Restore Iraqi Marshlands - DefendAmerica News Article

Its UN agenda 21 in ACTION in IRAQ.