Deep in the spirit of the desert there is an haven , a wetland rich in bird and fish spirit that is now slow sprouting once more from the sear lands . The Iraqi Marshlands in the center of Iraq have a foresightful and rich history stretch out back X of thousand of years . Now Unescohas at last recognizedthe region ’s ethnical and biodiverse importance and name it as a World Heritage Site .
“ The Ahwar of Southern Iraq – also known as the Iraqi Marshlands – are unique , as one of the worldly concern ’s largest inland delta system , in an extremely raging and arid environment,”write Unesco in their designation . The organization heel seven sites of interest within the wetland , three of which are archeological while four are wetland marsh areas , and admit the ancient sites of Ur , thought to have beenthe provenience of Abraham . But its long history has been far from easy .
The Ahwar , despite being one of the ample environments in the intact Middle East , has a tragical history . rumor to have been the stirring for the Garden of Eden as it sit at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates , the diverse reed bed patronage massive biodiversity in the form of immense numbers of birds and Pisces the Fishes , a rarified aquatic landscape in the middle of a desert .
Civilizations have risen and fallen on its bank , agriculture started , and the origins of the pen watchword come from its midst . report some20,000 square kilometers(7,700 square miles ) , the Mesopotamian Marshes , as they are also known , played a key role in the growth of not only people and culture in the realm but also wildlife , specially those migrate across Eurasia and into Africa , from flamingos to pelican .
But in the nineties , this little piece of life flourishing from the arid desert was devastated . The then President of Iraq , Saddam Hussein , settle to punish the Marsh Arabs who had lived in the wetlands for six millennium for rebelling during the Gulf War , by destroying the wetland on which their entire style of sprightliness depended . By build dike and dykes , Hussein bring home the bacon in draining the marshland , and reduced it to just 10 percent of its original size .
However , since Hussein was deposed during the Iraq War , the future of the fenland has been wait up . When Iraqi - born engineer Azzam Alwash returned to the area , he made it his missionto try and repair the wetlands to their former glory . By removing the dams and dykes , destroy the canals and drain system , Alwash has spearhead a move to re - flood the marshes , and has been doing a pretty proficient job of it . So far around 30 pct has been restored and hopefully , with this identification from Unesco , more will comply .
