DHI QAR, Iraq - The marshes of Iraq are no longer suitable for living after mostly drying up, with the droughts killing most of Dhi Qar’s livestock and driving inhabitants away. The effects of the drought are huge, with water scarcity in the al-Hammar Marshes in Dhi Qar being the main factor in the substantial financial losses suffered by locals. Ahmad Jawad Aziz, a resident of the al-Hammar marshes in Dhi Qar, told Rudaw’s Anmar Ghazi on Tuesday that “life has ceased here, and most of the residents here make their living on the marshes, by raising fish, buffaloes, and cows, and harvesting cane,” Aziz continued. “Now everything has ended here, as the marshes have become a barren desert land.” Livestock and sheep breeders in the marshes protested against the neglect endured by the al-Hammar marshes. “There is no initiative by the decision makers in order to alleviate the brunt of the drought on buffalo breeders, such as providing them with fodder and granting them soft loans for the purpose of helping them overcome the crisis and supply safe drinking water,” Abu Hassan al-Musafiri, Head of the Gilgamesh Foundation for Antiquities and Marshes said. “In fact, there is widespread neglect that has caused the emigration of many families.” Ninety eight percent of the marshlands were exposed to drought, according to the directorate of agriculture in Dhi Qar, and its results negatively affected the natural, environmental, and livelihood aspects of the local population, in addition to the destruction of tons of fish. The UN classifies Iraq "as the fifth most vulnerable country in the world" to climate change, and the country is hit by frequent and longer intense droughts. The water level of the marshes keeps declining, a problem made worse by dam-building in neighboring countries. The country's water reserves have decreased by half since last year due to a combination of drought, lack of rainfall, and declining river levels, the water ministry warned. More than 6,000 heads of livestock and sheep died here due to the drying of the marsh waters according to Anmar Ghazi’s Rudaw.
