Page 39 - Hussein Revivalism - Issue 16

namely: Central, Hawizeh and Hammar
Marshes. These once were the largest wetland
ecosystem of Western Eurasia. It is a rare
aquatic landscape in the desert, that provides a
unique habitat for the Marsh Arabs and wildlife.
The marshes host a freshwater eco-system,
and provides a unique habitat of various
species of birds and fish. Until the 1970s,
the marshlands used to cover an area of
up to 20,000 square kilometres around the
confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Shortly afterwards, the marshlands were almost
drained completely, and the size of wetlands
were vastly reduced. Nevertheless, owing to
initiatives by the inhabitants with the reopening
of waterways, and, to good rainy seasons, the
unique marshland environment is slowly being
come back to life.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, the marshes
were drained to 10% of their original size. After
the fall of last regime in 2003, the marshes
have partially recovered. Yet much remains to
be done to restore these marshes to their full
former glory.

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