Although these marshes are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, much of the area has dried up. [Getty]
Iraq is intensifying diplomatic efforts to address a worsening water crisis, as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani prepares for a high-level visit to Ankara. Iraqi officials are raising the alarm over the dramatic decline in river flows from neighbouring Turkey and Iran, which they say is accelerating environmental degradation and displacing vulnerable communities.
The majority of Iraq’s freshwater originates from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, both of which rise outside its borders. Several tributaries of the Tigris pass through Iranian territory before reaching Iraq.
Iraq accuses both Iran and Turkey of unilaterally managing shared water resources by constructing dams and diverting river channels without regional coordination. The reduced flows in the Euphrates and Tigris have compounded the effects of rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, with rural and agricultural areas bearing the brunt.
“The climate crisis, combined with upstream countries’ policies that restrict natural water flows, has drastically reduced the extent of Iraq’s southern marshes,” said Dr Sinan Jaafar Mohammad, General Director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Improvement in the Middle Euphrates Region at the Ministry of Environment, during a recent interview with The New Arab.
Although these marshes are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, much of the area has dried up, forcing families who depend on fishing and buffalo breeding to leave their ancestral homes.
Sudani is expected to press Turkish officials to increase water releases into Iraq ahead of the peak summer season, when demand for water surges and conditions deteriorate further.
The southern marshlands—also known as the Ahwar—are often referred to as the “cradle of civilisation”.
They were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 in recognition of their ecological and cultural significance. The region is home to the Marsh Arabs and boasts a rich biodiversity, including rare species of birds and fish. It also includes notable archaeological sites such as Uruk, Eridu, and Ur.
During the 1990s, Saddam Hussein ordered the near-total drainage of the wetlands to root out Shia insurgent groups sheltering in the area. While post-2003 restoration projects have brought partial recovery, officials now fear these gains are under serious threat.
“There are ongoing discussions through joint committees that include the Ministry of Water Resources, the Foreign Ministry, and UNESCO,” Mohammed said. “But the underlying issue remains: Iraq is at the mercy of upstream nations—Turkey, Syria, and Iran—who control the water before it reaches us.”
He added that Iraq is bound by UNESCO’s conservation guidelines, which prohibit industrial development, such as factories or hotels, in the marshes’ core zones. However, he noted growing interest from the private sector in promoting ecotourism, especially among international visitors.
Elsewhere in Iraq, water scarcity is worsening. Lake Sawa, once an important natural site in the south, has now completely dried up. Mohammed attributed the lake’s disappearance to a combination of low upstream flows, over-extraction of groundwater, and prolonged periods of drought.
He also noted that the Environment Ministry is collaborating with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through its “GEF Seven” and “GEF Eight” programmes to restore key water bodies, including Lake Sawa, and preserve Lakes Tharthar and Razaza. These initiatives aim to support biodiversity, agriculture, tourism, and local livelihoods.
Despite international recognition of the Mesopotamian Marshes as a vital biodiversity haven, Iraq’s wetlands continue to suffer from decades of environmental mismanagement and shifting regional geopolitics. Officials warn that without immediate regional cooperation and sustainable water-sharing agreements, Iraq’s fragile ecological and cultural legacy may be irreparably lost.
