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8/6/2019 Managing for Change CIMI Final Report
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M CTh Psnt and Ft Stat
o th Mashs o Sothn Iaq
Pducd b th
www.iaqimashlands.g
This wk is licnsd und th Cativ Cmmns Attibutin-Nncmmcial-
Sha Alik 2.5 Canada Licns. T viw a cp this licns, visit
http://cativcmmns.g/licnss/b-nc-sa/2.5/ca/
Pjct undtakn with th nancial suppt th Gvnmnt Canada pvidd thughth Canadian Intnatinal Dvlpmnt Agnc (CIDA).
8/6/2019 Managing for Change CIMI Final Report
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partners
governorate of basrah , iraq
governorate of maysan , iraq
governorate of thi qar, iraq
marine sciences center , universityof basrah , iraq
marshes researchcenter , universityof thi qar
maysantechnical institute , iraq
ministryof environment , iraq
ministryof statefor the marshlands , iraq
ministryof water resources center for the restoration ofthe iraqi marshlands (crim), iraq
sheikh abbas omar al ebadi, tribal leader , thi qar, iraq
sheikh mohammed ali al asad, tribal leader , maysan, iraq
sheikh yareb jarial emarah , tribal leader , basrah , iraq
fraserbasincouncil
universityof victoria
universityof waterloo
th ecanada-iraqmarshlands
initiative (cimi)Th gal CIMI was t cntibut
t th dvlpmnt a stabl and
pspus suthn Iaq and t suppt
th scial, cnmic, institutinal and
nvinmntal sustainabilit th Iaqi
Mashlands, with du spct gnd
qualit and human ights. CIMI wkd
with a bad css-sctin Iaqi scit
t hlp manag, dvlp and st th
Mashs in a sustainabl mann.
CIMI bgan in 2005 as a pjct dvtd
t taining Iaqi wtlands scintists and
wking with th univsitis in th th
suthn gvnats Iaq t nhanc
thi scintic capabilitis. Th Univsit
Watl dictd th Canadian
cmpnnt th pjct. A scnd phas
th pjct was initiatd in 2007, ld
b th Univsit Victia in cpatin
with th Univsit Watl, th Fas
Basin Cuncil Bitish Clumbia and
Iaqi patns. Funding th initiativ
cms m th Canadian Intnatinal
Dvlpmnt Agnc (CIDA).
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v
executive summary vi
preface vi i
A nt n wding and languag viii
introduction 1
Data limitatins 2
the marshes : aunique areaof the world 3
Daining th mashs 5
Mash statin and habilitatin 6
Th bundais th mashs 10
Cunt cnditins 11
Gvnmnt plic 12
the healthof the marshes 13
Using th Mash Classicatin Sstm as a planning and dcisin-making tl 15
Implmnting th Mash Classicatin Sstm 17
the future of the marshes 18
SCeNArIo 1: Achiv CrIMs ppsd bundais 18
SCeNArIo 2: extnd bunda t 2008 lvl 20
SCeNArIo 3: Tansitin t a small mash 20
keyfactorsaffectingthe size and healthof the marshes 22
Guiding pincipls 22
Key FACTor 1: Upstam withdawals, stag and dischag (Sia and Tuk) 24
Key FACTor 2: Upstam withdawals, stag and dischag (Ian) 26
Key FACTor 3: Upstam withdawals, stag and dischag (Iaq) 28
Key FACTor 4: Tidal fw 30
Key FACTor 5: Wast wat and pllutin 32
Key FACTor 6: Cmptitin 34
Key FACTor 7: Dught and climat chang 36
Key FACTor 8: Cmmunit stwadship 38
Key FACTor 9: Ppulatin and cnmic gwth 40 Key FACTor 10: Land us and ptctd aas 42
conclusion 44
bibliography 46
notes 53
photocredits 54
C o n t e n t s
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v i
the need or continued learning and
capacity building in wetlands management.This would include an ongoing assessment
o activities that impact the Marshes,
urther development o CIMIs Marsh
Classication System to estimate ecosystem
health, assistance with planning and
decision-making and continued training in
water quality monitoring and measurement.
the importance o designating the healthiest
Marshes as a Category IV Protected Area
under international guidelines to allow or
the maintenance o existing habitat andthe protection o biological communities
including existing human settlements.
the need to put in place and maintain a
collaborative decision-making model that
is capable o taking action on all ten key
actors outlined in this report.
Managing or Changeis only one o CIMIs
key outputs. More inormation about project
activities and products can be ound at:
www.iraqimarshlands.org.
Managing or Change: The Present and Future
State o the Marshes o Southern Iraq representsone component o a ve-year project unded
by the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) to support international
eorts to restore the important wetlands
ecosystem that was drained by the Iraqi
government in the early 1990s. The report
summarizes the drastic changes in the Marshes
since 1973, both in terms o Marsh extent and
Marsh health. It also identies the key actors
that need to be addressed to ensure the long-
term sustainability o the Marshes and outlinesrecommendations needed to stabilize and
restore these valuable wetlands.
The Managing or Changereport contains our
key themes that are central to the Canada-
Iraq Marshlands Initiative (CIMI) and to the
sustainability o the Marshes. These are:
the importance o a ormal mechanism
among Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq to
acilitate discussions on transboundary
water issues.
e x e C u t i v e s u M M a r y
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vii
the report was chosen to emphasize that the
Marshes are undergoing a period o rapid
ecological, social and economic change and
that development planning in the region
must take into consideration the dynamic
nature o this system. The disruption o
the past two decades has had a signicant
negative impact on all aspects o lie in theMarshes and many areas presently exhibit
poor environmental quality. The evidence
suggests that in the absence o signicant
management interventions at local, national
and international levels the ecological health
o the Marshes will continue to decline. This,
in turn, will adversely aect options or uture
development. The report also recognizes
the considerable eort by the national and
regional governments in addressing the current
water crisis in Iraq as well as the work o
UN agencies and other countries including
Canada, Italy, Japan and the United States.
The activities o the second phase o CIMI
(or CIMI-II) were agreed to by an Advisory
Committee to the project consisting o sheikhs
rom the three Marsh governorates (Basrah,
Maysan and Thi Qar), the chair o each
Managing or Change: The Present and Future
State o the Marshes o Southern Iraq provides ascientic basis or the creation and adoption
o management strategies or the sustainable
development o the Marshes. The report was
jointly prepared with the assistance o the
individuals and institutions listed on the inside
ront cover. A critical step in implementing
the recommendations rom this report is the
collaboration rom the various ministries,
governorates, universities and organizations
working on the Marshes.
This report:
highlights recent evidence on the extent
o the Marshes o southern Iraq and the
changes that have occurred since 1973;
presents an assessment o the health o
the Marshes, using data and inormation
gathered as part o the CIMI project;
develops uture scenarios or the Marshes
and the activities and practices needed to
achieve these scenarios; and
identies key recommended actions ornational, regional and local governments,
and other organizations, along with
examples o how similar actions have been
implemented elsewhere in the world.
Managing or Change: The Present and Future
State o the Marshes o Southern Iraq documents
the results o the second phase o CIMI,
a project designed to partner with local,
regional and national organizations to better
understand, restore and manage an ecosystem
that was devastated during the last 12 years o
Saddam Husseins rule in Iraq. The rst phase
o CIMI ocused on enhancing the scientic
capacity o Iraqi researchers and universities
in the areas o environmental monitoring and
analysis; the second phase emphasized wetlands
planning and management, and meeting the
basic needs o Marsh residents. The title o
prefaCe
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viii
respective Governorate Council, university
researchers, and key representatives rom the
Ministry o Water Resources, the Center
or the Restoration o the Iraqi Marshlands
(an inter-agency center), the Ministry o
Environment and the Ministry o State or
the Marshlands.
Managing or Changeis the rst o two reports
presented to the Iraqi Government on behal
o the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative. The
second is an Atlas o the Marshes, comprising
satellite photos, maps and pictures used in or
developed by the project. Both documents are
available online at: www.iraqimarshlands.org.
In addition to the printed reports, eight
dierent organizations including three
ministries, three universities and two UNagencies were provided with computer hard
drives containing all data, maps, reports and
other inormation gathered by the project so
that the work initiated by CIMI will proceed
well into the uture.
Th st th Mashs suthn Iaq is cntuis ld and dtaild
dsciptins th gin and its ppls dats back v 100 as.
Duing this tim, dint tms and/ spllings hav bn usd
plac nams, tibs, ppl and vn th Mashs thmslvs. This
lads t sm cnusin whn cmpaing aticls, paticulal whn
th hav bn wittn b ppl dint natinalitis. Wild
Thsig, in his classic 1964 bk, s t th Marsh Arabsand,
snnmusl, th Madan.Bth tms a tchnicall incct,
sinc Aabs a nt th nl thnic gup living in th Mashs, and th
tm madanwas initiall a dispaaging n usd t dnt th pst
th Mash sidnts. In this pt, w hav usd th tms and
spllings pvidd ith b cnt Iaqi gvnmnt dcumnts b
Iaqis thmslvs, paticulal ths wh hav wittn in english. This
ds nt impl that all tms a cct accuat; nl that w hav
tid t us th tms and spllings mst cmmn t ppl wking
n living in th Mashs. In additin, th a th tms that ma
b unamilia t th ad smwhat ambiguus. F ths, a sht
glssa is pvidd.
Th tms Mashs and Mashlands a usd intchangabl in th
dcumnt. Th CIMI Advis Cmmitt chs t us th tm suthn
Iaqi Mashs ( just Mashs) t dnt th gin, with Mash
dwlls th tm usd m psnt sidnts (as ppsd t
Mash Aabs). Th splling th th gvnats that incpat
th Mashs is, as llws: Basah ( Al Basah), Masan and Thi Qa.
oth plac nams hav bn takn m cnt gvnmnt maps
acadmic aticls b Iaqi auths.
Tms that ma caus sm cnusin t ads:
A Note oN WordiNg ANd LANguAge
Best Management Practices:Pvn was ptcting and
habilitating csstms such as th Mashs. Ths pactics a
basd n bth scinc and lcal knwldg and hav bn applid
thughut th wld t hlp st damagd csstms. Whn
adaptd t th lcal situatin, ths ppsd bhavius/actins allw
individuals, gups and cmmunitis t act as spnsibl stwads
thi land and wat.
Brackish Water:Wat that is slightl salt (lss than sawat but
m than sh wat; gnall m 0.5 -0.30 pats p thusand).
Capacity Building:Dvlping skills cmptncis, ith thugh
intnal activitis xtnal assistanc.
Ecosystem Health:Natual sstms pm ctain unctins svics that a usd b humans (as wll as th plants and
animals). Halth csstms hav th capacit t absb (and
smtims tat) pllutin. Th lvl csstm halth fcts bth
th siz th csstm and its capacit t absb wasts/pllutin.
Ecological Restoration:Intntinal activit that initiats acclats
th cv an csstm with spct t its halth, intgit and
sustainabilit.
Flood Pulse:A pidic fding a gin that hlps clans th aa
salts and th pllutants.
Reconstruction:Dnts building a pviusl xisting stuctu.
Gnall s t th built nvinmnt ath than th natual
nvinmnt.
Riparian States:Cuntis that hav at last pat thi tit
within a paticula iv basin.
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1
i n t r o d u C t i o n
The Marshes o southern Iraq oten reerred
to as the Iraqi Marshes or the MesopotamianMarshlands were once among the largest
wetlands in the world, covering an area more
than 10,500 km2 and supporting a diverse range
o fora and auna and a human population
estimated to be as high as 500,000 persons.
Fresh water or the Marshes was supplied
almost entirely rom two major river systems:
the Tigris and the Euphrates. At the southern
end o the Marshes, these two rivers come
together to orm the Shatt-al-Arab, which then
fows through Basrah and into the Gul.
In late 1991, the government o Saddam
Hussein began a systematic eort to destroy
the Marshes and the people living there. Based
on a British plan developed in 1951 to drain
the Marshes or agricultural purposes, the
government constructed major impoundments
and drainage canals so that by 2002, the size o
the Marshes had been reduced to less than 10%
o their original size. During this period, the
population o the Marshes declined to 80,000persons or less. Satellite photos show the extent
o the destruction, and reports rom reugee
camps document the hardships endured by local
residents. In 2003, the UN and the World Bank
identied the draining as a major environmental
and humanitarian disaster.
Despite some restoration o the Marshes
ater 2003 at least in terms o their size and
overall biodiversity the Marshes continue
to suer rom a lack o water, poor health
in some areas, and a lack o economic
opportunities once provided by the ecosystem
services rom the wetlands (e.g. shing, reeds
or weaving and construction, and sustenance
or bualo). There is an identied need to
improve our understanding o the dynamics
o this valuable ecosystem in order to allow
restoration to its original or possibly a new
state. This report provides the basis or this
improved understanding by:
visually presenting new inormation on the
present state o the Marshes;
developing an index o ecosystem healthto better understand the spatial variability
in water and soil quality in the Marshes;
identiying key actors that infuence the
restoration o the Marshes; and
using these actors and the data on
ecosystem health to present possible
scenarios or the uture.
The report is divided into ve substantive
sections, not including this introduction. The
rst section provides an overview o the ecology
and society o the Marshes and describes the
changes that have occurred in the past two
decades. This narrative is supplemented by
maps, satellite images and photos to provide a
better understanding o the massive ecological
changes that have occurred. The second section
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2
the Center or the Restoration o the Iraqi
Marshlands (CRIM) in the Iraqi Ministry
and is based on present and uture land uses
rather than on Marsh restoration per se. Two
other scenarios are outlined based on how
many o the ten key actors are addressed.
The key actors range rom the developmento international agreements to the adoption
o best management practices at the local
level. For each o the key actors there are
recommendations on how best to meet or
achieve the actors along with international
examples to be used as guidelines or uture
action. The nal section o the report is the
conclusions section, based on ve years o
active involvement in Marsh restoration.
looks at the health o the Marshes and discusses
the Marsh Classication System, an index
based on measurements o water quality, soil,
and biodiversity, along with local knowledge,
to identiy which areas o the Marshes remain
healthy and which areas have deteriorated. Both
issues o quantity and quality must be addressedin Marsh restoration activities.
The third and ourth sections o the report
ocus on the uture o the Marshes. Based on
the identication o ten key actors infuencing
the extent and the health o the Marshes, a
series o uture scenarios was generated and
discussed with colleagues in Iraq. The rst o
the scenarios presented is one proposed by
dAtA LimitAtioNs
Th data ndd t undtak a cmphnsiv managmnt plan
anwh in th wld a xtnsiv, and cmpiling and analzing th
data qui cdinatin amng all lvls gvnmnt and th
k scts such as th univsitis. Th uphaval in Iaq duing th
past tw dcads, th dstuctin man natinal ministis in th
atmath th US and calitin cs invasin in 2003 and th
limitd capacit t cllct and manag inmatin sinc thn mak
wking n th suthn Iaqi Mashs a paticulal dicult pblm.
Thughut th Middl east data n wat a actd b a vait acts, including a lack capacit in data cllctin and analsis
and inadquat pting. This is als tu sci-cnmic data,
paticulal whn th a plitical sctaian cnficts within
a cunt. Addd t ths pblms, th scuit situatin in Iaq
btwn 2003 and 2010 mad it almst impssibl nn-Iaqis t
visit th Mashs and undtak pima data acquisitin.
Th data usd in th catin this pt a m a vait
pima and scnda sucs. In 2004, CIMI and its Iaqi patns
stablishd a ntwk mniting sits basd n intnatinal
standads t assss th bidivsit and wat qualit th Mashs.
Ths data w thn tansd int a Ggaphic Inmatin Sstm
(GIS) managmnt and analsis. Th GIS was thn usd t dvlp
a Mash Classicatin Sstm that classid idntid sctins
th Mashs basd n th qualit th wat, sil and bita. Th
GIS was als cupld with an analsis k dvlpmnt acts t
pduc pssibl scnais th Mashs th utu. Alng with
spac-basd (satllit) data, suvs and gund-lvl bsvatins
undtakn b Iaqi patns, and data publishd in scintic junals,
this inmatin pvids a basis a m thugh scintic
undstanding th dnamics th Mashs. Scial and cnmic
data w basd n suvs (bth qustinnais and pn-nddqustins) cnductd in villags duing th CIMI wkshps duing
mtings with Iaqis utsid Iaq. Ths data w supplmntd
b inmatin m th publishd sucs, including th suv
219 villags undtakn b th Unitd Natins envinmnt Pgamm
(UNeP) and Thi Qa Univsit in 2007. Th liabilit th scnda
data is unctain and inmatin n sm k issus such as
ppulatin displacmnt and numbs tuning sidnts is
v subjctiv and pssibl inaccuat. This mans that u psnt
undstanding th Mashs and its ppl is nl patial, basd
n sm xcllnt scintic data n wat qualit as wll as sm
xtml unliabl inmatin n issus such as ppulatin
displacmnt.
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3
The Marshes o southern Iraq, reerred to in
this document as simply the Marshes, oncecovered an area o approximately 10,500 km2,
almost the exact size o Lebanon. The Marshes
lie just north o the confuence o the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers, where they meet to orm the
Shatt-al-Arab (Figures 1 and 2). The wetlands
were a major stopping point or migratory
birds and supported a diverse range o fora and
auna. Due to the remoteness o the region,
t h e M a r s h e s : a u n i q u e a r e a o f t h e w o r l d
FIgure 1.Lcatin th Mashs suthn Iaq.
only rough estimates are available or the size o
the human population. By the latter hal o thetwentieth century there were between 300,000
and 500,000 persons living in and around the
Marshes.1 The extent o the Marshes varied
by season, with high water occurring ater the
winter rains. The food waters o the two great
rivers provided a pulse o water that cleansed
the Marshes, much like the Everglades in the
State o Florida in the United States.
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4
Runo contributing to the fow o the
Euphrates originates almost entirely within
Turkey (88%), with the remainder rom Syria.
Turkey contributes 42% o the fow o the
Tigris, with Iraq contributing 32%, and Iran
26% (a small amount is also rom Syria).2 Iraq
is almost entirely dependent on these two river
systems or its water needs as is the Marshes.
As noted above, the ecology o the Marshes
requires periodic fushing (oten called a food
pulse) rom foodwaters to remove pollutants
and sustain the wetlands.
Historically, there were three separate marshes
that were connected during times o high
water: Hawizeh Marsh in the northeast; the
Central Marsh (between the two rivers) and
the Hammar Marsh in the southwest (Figure
3). The livelihoods o the Marsh dwellers were
directly based on a healthy Marsh ecosystem.
Fishing, agriculture (including livestock) and
FIgure 2.Tigis and euphatsriv Basins: hdlg and
pcipitatin.
even material or dwellings, as well as drinking
water and transportation, were, and are,
intricately linked to resh water. The Marshes
were also home to a variety o plants, birds
and animals, including endangered species o
migratory birds and numerous sh species that
provided sustenance or both Marsh dwellers
and the broader Iraqi population. Prior to
1990, 60% o the sh consumed in Iraq came
rom the Marshes.3 As has been the case
historically, an adequate supply o resh water
to the Marshes is critical to the well-being o
the human population in the region.
In addition to its historical and ecological
signicance, the Marshes have been o strategic
interest to the national government in Iraq,
particularly since 1980. During the 1980s,
much o the ghting in the Iran/Iraq War
was in the Marshes, and subsequent invasions
rom the US and coalition orces in 1991 and
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5
2003 went through the Marshes. Basrah, Iraqs
second largest city, located just south o the
Marshes, was the site o anti-Saddam protests
in the early 1990s and pro-Iranian sympathies
on the part o many residents upset the
government in Baghdad.4
drAiNiNg the mArshes
Plans to drain the Marshes to reclaim land
or agricultural purposes originated in 1951,
but it was only in the 1980s when Turkey,
Syria and Iraq began a series o irrigation and
hydroelectric projects that human activities
started having a substantial negative impact on
the region. Despite the potential or decreased
water fow in the Euphrates rom these
activities (less so in the Tigris), the concern
or the Iraqi government in the 1980s was theIran/Iraq War. During this time, the Marshes
FIgure 3.Mashs suthnIaq, 1973.
remained relatively healthy and were allocated
ample water in an eort to make it dicult
or Iranian troops to enter Iraq. Following
the 1991 Gul War, however, this situation
changed dramatically.
Ater 1991, the government o SaddamHussein began a systematic eort to destroy
the Marshes and the people living there,
initially through aerial bombing and burning
o villages. When this met with considerable
UN resistance, the government brought
orth a plan to drain the Marshes and displace
the population, ostensibly or reclamation as
agricultural land. With the construction o
major drainage canals linked to the Euphrates
and the Tigris, the Marshes were reduced
to less than 10% o their original (pre-1990)size by the year 2000 (Figure 4). During this
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6
period, the population o the Marshes declined
to 80,000 persons or less. Satellite photos
show the extent o the destruction and reports
rom reugee camps document the hardships
endured by local residents. The UN and the
World Bank identied the draining as a major
environmental and humanitarian disaster.5
mArsh restorAtioN ANd
rehAbiLitAtioN
The all o Saddam Husseins regime in 2003
brought an opportunity to assess the damage
to the Marshes and begin restoration eorts.
With assistance rom the US, Japan, Italy and
Canada, along with the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) and, subsequently, the
United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the Iraqi government initiatedrestoration projects that ranged rom
promoting ecological restoration to unding
new development projects to providing or
basic services. In all cases, the ocus was on
helping to build a sustainable peace through
Marsh restoration. This included eorts
to promote multi-stakeholder processes,
engage the international community
through environmental agreements and
develop broader dialogue with other riparian
states, particularly Turkey and Iran. Initialassessments showed that the reduced size o
the Marshes, poor water quality, saline soils
and pollution (rom industries or letover
military ordnance) would make it dicult,
i not impossible to expect a ull restoration
o the Marshes. The conversion o marsh to
agricultural land, the presence o oil under the
Marshes and signicant growth in upstream
water impoundments (e.g. dams, dykes and
reservoirs) in Turkey, Syria and Iraq added
to the diculties. Nevertheless, throughad hoceorts on the part o local residents
(destroying some o the earthen dams) and
ample rain and snowall in the mountains
in Turkey and northeast Iraq, the Marshes
experienced a marked improvement by 2006,
both in terms o the Marsh extent and water
volume (Figure 5). Many o the migratory
FIgure 5. Mashs suthn Iaq, 2006.
FIgure 4.Mashs suthn Iaq, 2000.
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7
bird species returned, and there was some
cause or optimism that ecological restoration
would be successul.6 However, at least ve
troubling issues remain.
First, very ew ormer residents have returned
to the Marshes (or what once had been theMarshes). The evidence is anecdotal drawn
largely rom discussions with sheikhs and
local government ocials but the ongoing
security problems in the region plus the lack
o economic opportunities have made return
an unattractive option. In addition, there
continues to be a lack o basic services
including drinking water and many ormer
residents established their amilies in urban
centers such as Basrah or Nassriyah in the
1990s and are reluctant to leave. Many othe young generation have never seen the
Marshes. From these discussions, we estimate
that the number o returnees to the region is
no more than 40,000 persons, or ewer than
10% o those originally displaced.
Second, what had been three marshes linked
during times o high water has now been
reduced eectively to two, since the Central
Marshes have disappeared (with the exception
o the Glory River the large drainagecanal seen in satellite photos - and periodic
fooding) and there is no longer a connection
between the remaining wetlands, Hawizeh and
Hammar, even during times o high water. In
addition, the health o the remaining Marshes
is very poor in certain areas, particularly in the
Hammar Marsh southeast o Nassriyah. Salt
water rom the soil and increased tidal fow
rom the Gul has polluted much o this area.
Third, agricultural land now occupies asignicant portion o the ormer wetlands and
re-fooding these lands would have an initial
negative economic impact. Once the Marshes
were drained in the early 1990s, the government
encouraged agricultural development and oten
ceded land to political supporters.* Agricultural
land now occupies approximately 22% o the
FIgure 6.Agicultu land in suthn Iaq in 1973 and 2009.
ormer Marshes. Crop yields vary widely due
to soil conditions Government plans to restore
the Marshes will exclude this land rom any
uture re-fooding (Figure 6).
Fourth, issues surrounding oil exploration
and production add uncertainty to the
development situation in the Marshes. There
are oil reserves in and near the Marshes,some o which are already being exploited
(see Figure 7). Some Marsh residents eel
that increased oil production will bring both
jobs and revenue to the region and enhance
regional prosperity, but this is unlikely. The
national government is still negotiating
* In th al 1990s, th gvnmnt gav daind land t
plitical suppts m th Mashs gin. In 2003 and
2004, sm this agicultual land was -ldd, and
this causd tnsins amng sidnts sinc th landhlds
w against an -lding th land. rmakabl, th
ds nt appa t b a cnlict v land wnship at
psnt, sinc th small numbs ppl mving back t
th Mashs und littl cnmic pptunit availabl and
mst hav dcidd nt t tun pmanntl. Hwv, i
th scuit situatin stabilizs and th cnmic situatin
impvs, th ma b cnlict in th utu v land
tnu/ights.
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with the regions on revenue sharing rom
oil production despite mild protests rom
Basrah that the entire southern region wants
to secede rom Iraq and control its own oil
resources and revenues. Additionally, the oil
sector is very capital intensive and the ew
jobs available require specialized training.
Moreover, there is potential or damage to
the remaining Marshes rom oil drilling and
pipeline development.
FIgure 7. Lcatin il svs in suthn Iaq.
Last, and most important, development
activities upstream and the increased
withdrawal o water to meet competing
demands elsewhere in Iraq have severely
reduced the fow o water to the Marshes
(Table 1; Figure 8).7 Government ocials and
wetlands experts now acknowledge that there
will be less water fowing to the Marshes in
the uture and the Marsh residents need to
accept this new reality and plan accordingly.
Table 1. Dams built, plannd, and und cnstuctin in th
Tigis and euphats riv Basins, 2008
Cunr Dams Dams undr
cnsrucin
Plannd
dams
Iaq 9 3 2
Ian 6 4 6
Tuk 15 1 5
Sia 6 0 0
t 36 8 13
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FIgure 8. Dams built, plannd, and und cnstuctin in th Tigis and euphats riv Basins.
FIgure 9. Pmannt, dg, and sasnal mashs m 2007 t 2009.
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the bouNdAries o the mArshes
The boundaries o the Marshes are commonly
reerred to as the extent o water covering the
surace o southern Iraq in May o 1973, simply
because this was the date o the rst satellite
photograph o the region that accurately
depicted the extent o the wetlands. However,wetlands are dynamic systems and their size
varies by season, the amount o rainall,
runo upstream and longer-term climatic and
physiographic changes. Thereore, speciying
the exact boundaries o a wetlands ecosystem
like the Marshes is more a governmental
decision than a scientic one.
For the purposes o this report, the boundaries
o the Marshes are considered to be the average
o the high water levels or the years 2007-2009(Figure 9). Many areas that were wetlands in
1973 have now been converted to agricultural
use or let as unproductive land, and, coupled
with reduced water fow rom upstream, it is
unlikely that the spatial extent o the wetlands
will ever return to 1973 levels.
FIgure 10a. Mash xtnt, 19732010.
FIgure 10b. Mash wat vlum, 19732010.
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FIgure 11.Mashs suthnIaq, Wint, 2009 / 2010.
Despite the increase in Marsh size between
2003 and 2008, the size o the Marshes was
severely impacted by the drought in 2009.
Coupled with reduced water fow rom Iran,
both the volume and the extent o the wetlands
decreased almost to 2003 levels.
Figures 10a/b depict the total Marsh area
and total water volume between 1973 and
2010. Although levels have begun to rise (as
o early 2010), the reduced fow o waterrom upstream and the possibility o greater
evaporation rates and longer and more severe
droughts caused by climate change pose
additional problems to the uture size o the
Marshes.
CurreNt CoNditioNs
The draining o the Marshes by Saddam
Husseins regime had a catastrophic impact
on the ecology, hydrology and people o the
Marshes. Although the re-fooding o the
Marshes ater 2003 provided some optimism
that at least a partial restoration was possible,
the severe drought o 2009 and an increase
in inrastructure projects along the Tigris and
Euphrates (and their tributaries) have led toa reassessment o the potential or a return
to conditions o the 1980s. By the winter
o 2009, the size o the Marshes approached
the lowest levels o 2003, as severe drought
encompassed the entire country (Figure 11).
Perhaps more importantly, new inormation
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makers in their uture management and
development plans.*
The MCS categorizes the Marshes into our
classes (A, B, C, D) according to their level
o overall health, with the A class being the
highest (Table 3). These classes are ranked
according to the highest level o quality within
the marshes and not according to any national
or international standard. The health o the
Data collected since 2005 by CIMI indicate
that the health o the Marshes ranges rompoor to healthy, depending on location. The
drying up o most o the Marshes in the 1990s
aected the size o the wetlands, the quality o
the remaining water, the habitat or plants and
animals and the livelihoods o local residents.
However, the draining did not result in the
total destruction o the wetlands, because
fow rom the Tigris River and runo rom
Iran ensured that northern sections o the
Hawizeh Marsh continued to thrive. Using
data collected since 2005, CIMI developed aMarsh Classication System (MCS) to provide
a general assessment o the health o dierent
sections o the Marshes and to assist decision-
the hea lth of the Mars hes
FIgure 13. Mash Classiicatin
Sstm Gnal Mash Halth,
2008-2009.
* Th classiicatin wtlands is nt a nw managmnt tl.
Dint tps classiicatin (basd n csstm halth
csstm unctin) hav bn incpatd int wtlands
statin and mniting sstms in man gins th
wld.
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wetlands even though they may be healthy at
present are a major cause o species extinction
and the loss o biodiversity. As a result, the
health o these smaller marsh areas is very
vulnerable to uture stress. Figure 13 depicts the
health o the Marshes in 2008-2009.
Further testing will rene this method o
assessment and give a more accurate picture o
the health o the Marshes and how they change
over time. Accordingly, the MCS maps should
be used as a general indicator o marsh health
Marshes at any given location may change
rom season to season as a result o water levels,
water volume or extreme events such as re
or drought. A number o variables were used
to develop each classication. These include
the quality o drinking water, soil and water
salinity, and vegetation cover. The healthiest
regions include sections o the Hawizeh Marsh
in Maysan, a small section o the Central
Marsh along the Gharra River in Thi Qar and
a primarily brackish-water marsh in Basrah.
Discontinuous or ragmented patches o
Agggating data t m indicats is a wa t simpli cmplx and
dtaild inmatin, paticulal hlp in dcisin-making. Scial,
cnmic and nvinmntal sstms a inhntl cmplx and
a clsl intlinkd. In th Iaqi Mashs, human livlihds hav
bn undamntall basd n a halth Mash csstm. Pi t thmiddl th last cntu, this mant that Mash ppulatins w
dpndnt n fuctuatins in ainall and un upstam in bth
th Tigis and euphats Basins and als n th fd pulsing that
hlps clans th wtlands. It has nl bn in th past 60 as that
dvlpmnt pjcts and plitical initiativs hav actd th halth
th Mashs. Tda, th a tw main pblms with th halth
th Mashs. Fist, th is simpl nt nugh wat th Mashs
t tun it t th tp csstm that xistd pi t 1950. Scnd,
human activitis hav actd th qualit th maining wtlands
and this, in tun, has advsl actd th halth animals, plants
and ppl.
Althugh th is a v gd undstanding th dnamics
wtlands in gnal, th is a lack data n th Iaqi Mashs,
paticulal in tms wat and sil qualit. CIMI, in cnjunctin with
univsitis in th gin and th Minist Wat rsucs Cnt
th rstatin th Iaqi Mashlands (CrIM) sught t cti this
pblm b stablishing wat qualit mniting and taining activitis
stating in 2005. Th data that w cllctd pvid an accuat
dpictin th halth th Mashs at spcic lcatins and at
spcic tims. T b usul in dcisin-making, hwv, th data must
b agggatd int an indicat that can dpict th gnal halth
th Mashs. An indicat is simpl a valu a numb that dscibs
a chaactistic such as th stat th nvinmnt that cannt
b masud dictl. F xampl n cannt masu cmmunit.
Th, n nds t cmbin dint data scial, cnmic,
plitical and vn nvinmntal t dvlp an indicat what
n mans b cmmunit. ecsstm halth is anth tm that
quis m inmatin than can b pvidd b a spcic vaiabl.
mArsh CLAssiiCAtioN system
Althugh spcic data a th basic cmpnnt indicat dvlpmnt,
smtims th lack data causs pblms in tms using th
indicat dcisin-making. This is th cas with th Iaqi Mashs.
Hwv, an indicat can als b usd as a gnal guid t making
dcisins and, as m data bcm availabl, th indicat can b
nd t mak it m usul. exampls includ th Indx Human
Dvlpmnt dvlpd b UNDP; th Indx Human Inscuit, and th
Indx Sustainabl ecnmic Wla. Indicats a als widl usd t
pvid an stimat appximatin csstm halth.
Th CIMI Pjct masud 30 vaiabls in d t assss th halth
th Mashs. eight ths w cmbind t dvlp an indicat
th gnal halth th Mashs. Th vaiabls w includd nt
nl bcaus thi pactical and thtical cntibutins t wtlands
halth, but with a cnsidatin data qualit, cnsistnc and
liabilit (Tabl 2).
Th sulting indicat is an unwightd avag ths ight vaiabls,
nmalizd t a ang 0 < INDICATor < 1. Statistical analsis was
cnductd t nsu that n singl vaiabl dminatd th th svn was highl clatd t ths. Ths valus w thn dividd int
u qual sts and assignd th ltts A (highst qualit) t D (lwst
qualit) and thn mappd. In th wds, th data w placd int u
classicatins and hnc th us th tm Mashs Classicatin
Sstm.
Table 2. Wat quality data usd t dvlpth Mash Classifcatin Systm
water quality data
Nitit So4
pH elctical cnductivity
Salinity Chlin
Ttal cll cunt Tubidity
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and not interpreted as depicting the exact line
where a wetlands area switches rom healthy
to unhealthy. Table 4 shows the amount o
healthy marsh by governorate or 2009.
usiNg the mArsh CLAssiiCAtioN
system As A PLANNiNg ANd deCisioN-
mAkiNg tooL
The Marsh Classication System provides an
initial sense o what sections o the Marshes
are the healthiest. The indicator is supported
or veried, at least in a general sense, by
measurements o the amount and quality o
vegetation within each category, bird counts
and sh catches, and personal observations
rom residents living in the Marshes. While it
is not an exact tool, the MCS can help guide
decisions. However, there is no implication
that the sections o the Marshes classied as
Table 4.Mash Classifcatin Systm:Gnal Mash Halth by Gvnat, 2008-2009*
Gvrnra Km2:
A B
Km2:
C D
% halh
marsh
% unhalh
marsh
Basah 705 961 42 58
Masan 1112 1243 47 53
Thi Qa 489 1840 21 79
* Nt that th tabl cmbins aas A/B and C/D th pupss having tw classs: halth and unhalth.
D (or in the poorest health) cannot support
economic activities; only that activities based
on the health o the Marshes per se should be
directed elsewhere. Two examples where the
Marsh Classication System would be helpul
are in the development o protected areas and
the location o water treatment acilities.
1. ealn a Nanal Pc Aa
sa ma
Most o the Hawizeh Marsh has been
designated wetlands o international
importance under the Ramsar Convention,
as noted above. In addition, Iraq has recently
become a signatory to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD). This provides a
ormal mechanism or the country to assign
Protected Area Status to part, or all, o the
Marshes. Depending on the level o protection
Table 3. Mash Classifcatin Systm
a a a B a C a d
Wa Qal Wat is dinkabl (gnall) Wat ma b dinkabl Wat is nt dinkabl withut
tatmnt
Wat is nt dinkabl
(maj tatmnt quid
tansptatin m th aas
is ndd)
n an hnn High valud sh and gam a
availabl
Lw valud sh and gam a
availabl
Fish a scac Fish and gam a gnall nt
psnt
Acl Aa is suitabl agicultu Aa is maginal agicultu Aa is nt suitabl mst
cps. onl th hadist and
mst sistant cps will gw
Aa is nt suitabl
agicultu
van C Dns phragmitesand high
divsit plants
Mdat phragmitescv Lw sasnal plant cv N minimal plant cv
Anal Pcn High pductin ats and
lativl high milk pductin
ats
Mdat pductin ats and
mdat milk pductin
Lw pductin ats and lw
milk pductin
V w n animals
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2. Wa an
A second example o the use o the MCS
relates to the need or water treatment
acilities. The distribution o the human
population over a broad area, coupled with
the salinity o the groundwater makes the
provision o resh water to Marsh residentsdicult. Historically, many residents drank
water directly rom the Marshes or boiled
the water beore drinking or preparing ood.
The contamination o the Marshes with salt
or other pollutants make this a dangerous
proposition in all areas except those designated
as A, and even in these areas there is no
guarantee that water is o drinkable quality.
Three other options exist: treating water at a
central location and then piping it to residents
(which is expensive given the low populationdensity); desalinating water (which would
allow or decentralized treatment, but this
only works with water o a certain salinity
desired, creating a Protected Area will limit
the types o land use allowable in that region.
Given the changes in extent and quality
o the Marshes over the past two decades,
what sections should be protected? The
MCS provides some guidance in answering
this question. The rst priority should beto protect areas o the Marshes that exhibit
the best health; in other words, the areas
designated as A on the MCS map. This
implies that a large section o the Hawizeh
Marsh should be protected, although the
boundaries o the protected area would not,
necessarily, be consistent with the Ramsar site
boundaries. Fragmented areas o the wetlands
in other regions that continue to exhibit high
quality might also be protected. The purpose
in protecting a small section o the Marsh thatis the healthiest is that it allows the stressed
ecosystem to stabilize and, quite possibly, grow
in the uture.
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and cannot remove all pollutants) or bringing
water by truck to remote villages (which isalso expensive). While there are other options
such as conservation and rain-water capture
(when it rains), these three are the only
ones or supplying a large amount o potable
water to the Marsh population. Assuming
that centralized treatment and distribution
is the most expensive alternative, then areas
classied a D are likely restricted to using
water that is brought in by truck. The water
is too polluted to desalinate or consume
directly (even with boiling). Areas C andB are better suited or desalination plants,
but the cost o plants will limit their number
and decisions on where to place the plants
within those two areas should be made on
other actors, such as the population served. In
area A, desalination should not be necessary,
as long as water is boiled beore consumption.
However, there are exceptions. The eastern
FIgure 14. Halth th Mashs,
2009.
Hammar Marshes are salt or brackish-water
marshes that are otherwise o high quality. Inthis case, water must be either brought in rom
elsewhere or desalinated.
imPLemeNtiNg the mArsh
CLAssiiCAtioN system
As the size o the Marshes changes, the health
o dierent sections o the Marshes also
changes. Polluted water entering the Marshes
may result in the degradation o previously
healthy Marshes and, conversely, an infux
o clean water might improve conditions inan unhealthy region. Accordingly, the health
o the Marshes needs to be monitored on a
continuous basis. From these data, the Marsh
Classication System can be updated and
rened or use in planning. Figure 14 depicts
the health o the Marshes in 2009, refecting
the loss o wetlands due to the drought.
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To better assess the uture o the Marshes
and to help identiy important managementpriorities, CIMI developed a series o scenarios
or the uture. While there are an innite
number o possible scenarios, we ocus on
three possibilities that correspond to ongoing
policy developments within Iraq, international
discussions and the scientic data gathered by
the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative (CIMI)
and other projects. Following this, ten key
actors are presented that directly infuence
both marsh size and health. The way in which
these key actors are addressed over the nexttwo decades will determine the uture o the
Marshes.
the three sCeNArios
Table 5 summarizes the three scenarios that
are used in this report. These three scenarios
represent clear decisions about the uture
o the Marshes. Arguments can be made to
support any o these approaches and strategies
can be developed that apply to each. CIMI
believes that the livelihoods o the peopleand the plants and animals in the Marshes are
entirely dependent on a healthy ecosystem.
t h e f u t u r e o f t h e M a r s h e s
Table 5. Th pssibl scnais th utu th Mashs
sCenario 1 sCenario 2 sCenario 3
CrIM usd th 1973 bundais th Mashs as
a stating pint t dvlp a land us scnai
th utu. CrIM thn subtactd xisting land uss
such as agicultu, il lands and sttlmnts m th iginal bundais and thn dsignatd
th maining aa as Mashlands. Dpnding n
th amunt land dsignatd as agicultu (th
CrIM statg is still bing mulatd), th amunt
Mashland culd b up t 70% th 1973 lvl,
gadlss whth th is nugh wat t actu-
all st this aa t a wtlands. (Figu 15)
Figu 16 shws th high wat lvls 2008. In
2009, th xtnt th Mashs dcasd du t
dught cnditins thughut Iaq, s maintaining
vn th 2008 lvls will qui a cnctd tt incas wat fw t th Mashs. Mash xtnt
wuld b 38% 1973 lvls duing tims high
wat. K acts t addss includ agmnts
with upstam cuntis, gulatins n dischag t
th maj ivs and dicting tatd wat m
th Main outfw Dain (MoD) int th Mashs (this
has bgun). Th vall xtnt th Mashs will
cntinu t fuctuat basd n al ainall and th
halth th gin will main vaiabl.
existing lvls t wuld b maintaind, but
th siz and halth th Mashs wuld cntinu
t dtiat. Th lack upstam lw and
pidic ld pulss wuld sult in th vntualding th Mashs. Althugh th might b
sm sh-wat mashs psnt llwing win-
t ains, th nl pmannt mashs wuld b
backish-wat mashs in Basah Gvnat.
This does not mean that economic activities
cannot take place in the absence o a healthymarsh ecosystem, but it would mean a very
dierent type o development than the one
that has existed or millennia.
sc 1:
Ac Crim pp na
The Center or the Restoration o the Iraqi
Marshlands (CRIM) is an inter-agency
centre that was established in 2003 and is
located in the Ministry o Water Resources
(MoWR). The Center is heavily infuencedby the activities and policy direction o the
MoWR. It is the responsibility o the MoWR
to allocate water among competing uses in
the country. At present, over 80% o the
water available to Iraq is consumed by the
agricultural sector.* The national government
has requested that CRIM provide a land-use
plan or the Marshes, based on existing land
uses and the amount o water that might
* This igu was 88% in 2000. rcnt data a unavailabl,
but CrIM stimats that slightl m than 80% was usd b
th agicultual sct in 2009.
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FIgure 15. Scnai 1: CrIMs
ppsd Mash bundais.
be available in the uture.8 Because o the
importance o the CRIM proposal or the
Marshes, it has been included here as Scenario 1.
The CRIM scenario involves starting with the
1973 boundaries o the Marshes (see Figure
3) and then removing or subtracting land
used or agriculture, industry and settlements
rom the 1973 map. The remaining land has
been designated Marshlands, regardless owhether this is wetlands at present or might
be in the uture. The amount o remaining
Marshland is almost 70% o the 1973 extent
o the Marshes and, thereore, CRIM claims
that 50 to 70% o the Marshlands may be
restored, while acknowledging that there
may not be enough water to re-food many o
the areas labelled as Marshlands. The CRIM
scenario is depicted in Figure 15.
Achieving the CRIM scenario i the area
designated Marshlands is to contain water
will require addressing all o the key actors
outlined in the next section. More water
must be made available rom the Euphrates,
involving greater fow volumes rom Turkeyand Syria and less water withdrawn rom
upstream activities in Iraq. Similarly, water
fows rom Iran would need to return to 2000
levels and restrictions on agricultural runo
and waste discharge rom upstream would
need to be developed and enorced.
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sc 2:
en na 2008 ll
Substantial rainall in 2007 and 2008 in
northern Iraq, coupled with the ad hoc
removal o earthen dams by local residents,
resulted in an increase in the extent o the
Marshes rom its 2003 low. By 2008, marshextent had reached 38% o its 1973 levels even
though the health o the Marshes diered
widely across the region (Figure 16, p. 20). I
the key actors o water fowing rom Turkey
and Iran were addressed, the Marshes could
again return to the 2008 level. I food pulsing
was re-introduced and wastewater entering
the Marshes was reduced, the health o these
remaining Marshes could also improve. We
eel this is a very optimistic scenario, but is also
one that occurred in 2008 (at least in termso water quantity). The extent o the Marshes
would be less than in the CRIM scenario,
but much greater than a scenario where no
management interventions occurred.
sc 3:
tann a all a
In this scenario, it is assumed that only basic
management interventions are implemented
such as waste water management and
conservation and the Marshes are let tocope with the various natural and human
pressures, as they have or their entire history
beore the late twentieth century. The
amount o water reaching the Marshes will
continue to decrease as a result o upstream
withdrawals and climatic change and the
wetlands will eventually become much
smaller, except or parts o Hammar Marsh
in Basrah, which will be a brackish-water
marsh. Figure 17 depicts the virtual drying
up o the Marshes as the amount o wateravailable to the region diminishes. Even the
healthiest areas o the Marshes at present will
be aected in this scenario.
FIgure 16. Scnai 2: extnd bunda t 2008 lvl.
Table 6. Mash siz ach scnai, by gvnat
Gvrnra Scnari 1: CRIM
Plan Ara Km2Scnari 2:
Mainain 2008
Marshs Ara
Km2
Scnari 3: A
Smallr Marsh
Ara Km2
Basah 1307 705 291
Masan 2589 1294
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key faCtors affeCt i ng the s i z e and health
o f t h e M a r s h e s
guidiNg PriNCiPLes or reCommeNded ACtioNs
Th llwing Guiding Pincipls w dvlpd b th Canada-IaqMashland Initiativs (CIMI) Advis Cmmitt t hlp infunc and
guid th dvlpmnt th cmmndd actins in this dcumnt.
Qualit li is impvd and basic svics a pvidd. Dvlpmnt is sustainabl and snsitiv t cultual and scial
cnsidatins.
rstatin and dvlpmnt a basd upn bst scintic andtaditinal knwldg.
Achalgical and hitag sits a psvd.
eclgical intgit is halth and maintaind. ecnmic pptunitis a pusud within th limits th caingcapacit th natual sucs.
Cdinatd and cllabativ dcisin-making pcsss aspctd and applid.
Capacit individuals, gvnmnts and th intsts advlpd t nabl thm t paticipat ctivl in dcisin-
making pcsss.
healthy
Marshes
upstam
withdawas, stoa
& discha
land s
& potctd
aas
Popation
& conomic
owth
Tida fow
Tky
& Syia
Ian
Iaq
Comptition
Doht
Commnity
stwadship
Wast wat& potion
FIgure 18. K acts acting
th siz and halth th Mashs.
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Managing or Changerecognizes that addressing
these key actors is crucial or the sustainability
o the Marshes. Each o these is summarized
below, ollowed by a more detailed discussion
o each and recommendations/actions needed
to address each actor. International examples
that can be used as the basis or action are alsoincluded. The key actors infuencing Marsh
size and health are:
upa wawal, a an ca
(t an sa).The construction o
dams on the Euphrates River by Turkey
and Syria has aected the fow o water
to Iraq, and expectations are that this
situation will worsen in the uture.
upa wawal, a an ca
(ian). Dams and dykes constructed by Iranin the past three years have reduced the
water fowing into the Hawizeh Marsh.
Further development in Iran that will
reduce water fowing to the Marshes is
expected.
upa wawal, a an ca
(iaq). The construction o dams and dykes
in Iraq has restricted the amount o water
fowing to the Marshes.
tal fw. Movement o brackish waterrom the Shatt-al-Arab back into the
Marshes has increased the salinity in many
areas o the Hammar Marsh.
Wa wa an plln. Agricultural
runo and the discharge o industrial
waste upstream are contributing additional
chemicals to the Marshes. Re-fooding has
also released toxins rom soils that have
been contaminated by chemicals rom
military ordinance.
Cpn. The demand or water
rom cities and the agricultural sector is
increasing rapidly in Iraq and these must
be reconciled with the need or water in
the Marshes.
d/cla can. The present
drought may be indicative o the longer-
term eects o global warming, which is
expected to cause greater variability in
climate (longer and more severe droughts,
or example) and high rates o evaporation.
Cn wap. Actions at the local
level also impact the Marshes, whether
they relate to shing practices or sewage
disposal. Adopting best practices based
on the Marsh Classication System and
principles o community sustainability is
important.
Pplan an cnc w.
Population growth, economic growth
and urbanization rates will all infuence
the demand or water. Conservation atcommunity and local levels will be very
important.
Lan an pc aa. A compre-
hensive land-use plan is needed or the
Marshes. Sections o the Marshes should
be designated as Protected Areas.
These key actors along with others pose
tremendous challenges to the uture health o
the Marshes. Despite the re-fooding o certain
areas o the Marshes and an increase in plant
and animal species, the wetlands are extremely
vulnerable to urther disruptions in water fow,
chemical pollution and saltwater intrusion.
In addition, re-fooding o the Marshes does
not, necessarily, translate into a restoration
o the wetlands environment. In some cases,
re-fooding has caused the release o toxins
in the soil, the result o chemical pollution
and military ordnance. This has resulted in
lower water quality and a decline in ecosystem
health.
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linking government researchers, universities and
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)rom the our basin states. The initiative
or these activities might come rom other
countries or organizations, such as the Global
Water Partnership or the UN.
The 1979 Treaty (Joint Minutes) with Syria
provisionally divided the waters o the
Key fACtoR 1
upstream withdrawals, storage and discharge(turkey and syria)
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To have an agreement with Turkey and Syria to ensure an adequate flow
of water entering Iraq in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
k e y f a C t o r s, C u r r e n t C o n d i t i o n s a n d
r e C o M M e n d e d a C t i o n s
C
There is a clear need or better cooperationamong riparian states on the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers. This could take the orm o a
ormal river basin commission that would allow
or direct talks on water management including
the Marshes. A related but extremely
important solution would be to establish a
technical institute or research on basin issues,
Atatuk Dam, Tuk
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em
NiLe bAsiN iNitiAtive
Th Nl ban ina (NBI) is a patnship
th ipaian stats th Nil riv. Th NBI sks
t dvlp th iv in a cpativ mann, sha
substantial scicnmic bnts, and pmt ginal
pac and scuit. It aims, thugh a paticipat
dialgu pcss, t achiv sustainabl scicnmic
dvlpmnt th Nil Basin wat sucs.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.nilbasin.
g/.
reCoMMended aCtions
1.1 Establish a Tigris/Euphrates River Basins Commission with representation
from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
1.2 Establish a multi-national research institute for the Tigris and Euphrates River
Basins to focus on monitoring, data collection and analysis, data sharing and
water management issues.
1.3 Encourage multi-national organizations such as the EU, the Global Water
Partnership and the World Bank to advocate a transboundary water agreementbetween Turkey and Iraq.
Euphrates between Syria and Iraq, providing
Iraq with 58% o the water entering Syria on
the Euphrates. The Treaty also established
a joint committee to discuss technical and
administrative details. There have been
ongoing discussions between Iraq, Turkey and
Syria regarding transboundary water issues. Inthe all o 2009, the Prime Minister o Turkey
agreed to sign a number o Memorandums
o Understanding (MOUs) with Iraq on
economic issues, but the Iraqi Parliament
responded that any agreement must include
a component on water. Turkey has inormed
Iraq that urther discussions would be based
on a detailed assessment o existing water use
in Iraq.
the iNterNAtioNAL CommissioN or
the ProteCtioN o the dANube river
Th innanal Cn Pcn
dan r (iCPdr) is a tansnatinal bd that
nsus th sustainabl and ai us th Danub Basin
wat sucs. Its mandat is t implmnt th Danub
riv Ptctin Cnvntin, which is th amwk
tansbunda wat cpatin and managmnt
in th Danub Basin. Th mmbs th ICPDr a
th patis t th Cnvntin. Th ICPDr als bnts
m th cpatin lvant ministis, civil scit
ganizatins and th scintic cmmunit.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.icpd.g/.
rsvi bhind Atatuk Dam, Tuk
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Marshes might also be an opportunity or
peace building between the two countries
and the UN Environment Programme could
establish an initiative promoting cooperation.
In 1975, an agreement between Iran and Iraq
was reached on the use o shared waters. The
agreement dened the international boundary
between the two countries but did not include
the Hawizeh Marsh or water uses.
There have been ongoing discussions between
Iraq and Iran, and the Minister o Water
Resources visited Iran in late 2009 to discuss
water issues. A technical committee has also
been established between Iraq and Iran to
discuss water issues.
In 2009, the Maysan Governorate met
with the Iranian consul in Amara to initiate
discussions between the governor o Maysan
and the head o the adjacent province in
Iraq in an eort to address transboundary
water issues and, more specically, the
Hawizeh dyke and rivers that the Iranians
have dammed. CRIM is currently studying
the impact o the Iranian dyke on Hawizeh
Marsh.
C
Similar to Key Factor 1, it is vital that the
issue o water fow rom Iran to the Hawizeh
Marsh be addressed as soon as possible.
Both countries are signatories to the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands, but the agreement
cannot compel parties to act when there are
disagreements over wetlands management.
A more ormal mechanism such as the
commission noted above could provide
such a mechanism. The sustainability o the
Key fACtoR 2
upstream withdrawals, storage and discharge
(iran)
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To have an agreement with Iran on upstream withdrawals, storage
and discharge from tributaries of the Tigris River and on wetlands
management of the Hawizeh Marsh.
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em
mllaal: Pn W u
Wlan
CoNveNtioN oN WetLANds o
iNterNAtioNAL imPortANCe
Th Cnnn n Wlan innanal ipanc
(als knwn as th ramsa Cnvntin) cmmits its
signatis t nsu th cnsvatin and wis us
Wtlands Intnatinal Imptanc, t includ wis
us all wtlands in natinal nvinmntal planning
and t cnsult with th signatis with gad t
tansbunda wtlands, shad wat sstms and
shad spcis. Th ramsa Cnvntin is paticula
imptanc t Iaq n accunt th cnt dsignatin
Hawizh Mash as a Wtland Intnatinal Imptanc
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.amsa.g/.
blaal: manan Canaa an un
sa Jn Wa rc
iNterNAtioNAL JoiNt CommissioN or
the greAt LAkes
Th innanal Jn Cn (iJC) was st up
und th 1909 Bunda Wat Tat t assist Canada
and th Unitd Stats in slving pblms with gad
t thi jint ivs and laks. Th IJC has invstigativ
pws with gad t wat and ai pllutin and
als assists Canada and th Unitd Stats in th wis
managmnt thi wat sucs. Th IJC has als
hlpd stablish cnditins dams with tansbunda
cts as wll as hlping t st wat shaing uls n
tansbunda ivs.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.ijc.g/.
reCoMMended aCtions
2.1 Reach agreement with Iran on the joint management of Hawizeh Marsh
(Iraq) and Hawr Al-Azim Marsh (Iran) by using the provisions of the Ramsar
Convention.
2.2 Identify the short- and long-term impacts of new dams and impoundments
on tributaries feeding Hawizeh Marsh.
2.3 Request Iran pursue options to allow for water to ow freely between Hawr
Al-Azim Marsh and Hawizeh Marsh by, for example, placing culverts in the
Iranian dyke or demolishing all or part of the dyke.
2.4 Support and assist the governorates of Maysan and Basrah in their
discussions with the neighbouring Iranian province on transboundary water
issues.
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There are currently multiple dams upstream
rom the Marshes with more planned, including
on Hawizeh Marsh tributaries. MoWR is in the
process o building regulators to control input
and output o water in order to conserve or
restore the environmental and hydrologic status
o the Marshes.
A 30-year strategy or water and land resources
in Iraq is being developed, and monitoring
stations are being installed throughout the
Marshes to measure water fows at various times
o the year. MoWR has a target or the marshes
o 50% to 70% o the 1973 extent (see page 18).
C
A key issue acing Iraq is the growth in
demand or water rom all sectors o the
economy (see also Key Factor 6). Although
dams in Turkey have had a major impact
on water fow in the Euphrates, there are
also upstream impoundments within Iraq
that aect the fow o water to the Marshes.
More dams are planned and the result is
that even during times o ample rainall, the
water fowing to the Marshes is moderated
by these dams, eliminating the food-pulsing
mechanism that is so important in cleansing
the wetlands. The issue is more than one o
simply the amount o water, but also timing,
the strength o foods and water quality.
Key fACtoR 3
upstream withdrawals, storage and discharge
(iraq)
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To guarantee an adequate annual supply of water reaches the Marshes.
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reCoMMended aCtions
3.1 Adopt legislationthat guarantees an adequate annual supply of water for the
Marshes, especially during drought years.
3.2 Restructure diversions and impoundments in order to optimize water ow into
the Marshes.
3.3 Increase the number of water control regulators to better manage water ow
into the Marshes.
3.4 Require Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for all major proposed
developments in the area, especially new dam construction and oil
developments.
3.5 Continue the ongoing assessment of the impacts of discharging Main Outfall
Drain waters into the Marshes.
3.6 Identify the minimum and average annual ows needed to protect key areas of
the Marshes.3.7 Develop additional scenarios in order to describe Marsh size and health under
different water-ow regimes, including scenarios where: (1) no additional water
is discharged into the Marshes; (2) some additional water is discharged into the
Marshes; and (3) discharge is sufcient to restore the Marshes to 70% of 1973
extent.
em
tuNisiA: reorm o irrigAtioN PoLiCy
ANd WAter CoNse rvAtioN
As anth aid cunt with limitd wat sucs,
tna acs man th sam wat challngs as
Iaq. Tunisia implmntd a Natinal Wat Saving
Statg in d t impv iigatin and pmt wat
cnsvatin. Th Statg intducd ms t pmt
wat uss assciatins, incas th pic iigatin
wat and pvid incntivs t adpting btt iigatin
tchnlg. This was dn thugh th catin a
suppting lgislativ amwk, th stngthning
capacit in all wat managmnt scts and incasing
wat pics t act as an incntiv t adpt wat saving
tchniqus.
F m inmatin, plas s
http://www.gwptlbx.g/imags/stis/cass/n/
cs%2019%20tunisia.pd.
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okchb. Th nn-gvnmntal ganizatin Wld
Wildli Fund cgnizd this and spndd with a
cmphnsiv basin-wid managmnt and statinplan that includd th lak. This xampl highlights
bth th ncssit ngaging in itativ planning
pcsss and th psitiv impacts NGos can bing t
nvinmntal planning pcsss.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.gwptlbx.
g/indx.php?ptin=cm_cas&id=142&Itmid=42.
em
usA: mANAgiNg LAke okeeChobee
La oc in th Flida evglads sud
m saltwat intusin such as is nw sn in th
Shatt-al-Aab and salinatin sm th mashs.
Whil th Gvns Cmmissin a Sustainabl Suth
Flida dtmind that th utu th evglads
dpndd n m sustainabl dvlpmnt and
wat us in Suth Flida, it lagl nglctd Lak
reCoMMended aCtions
4.1 Develop all possible strategies to ush salts from the Marshes.
4.2 Develop all possible strategies to restrict salt water moving up the Shatt-al-
Arab River.
4.3 Encourage Iran to release ow from the Karun Riverback into the Shatt-al-Arab
River.
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C
Untreated waste water rom industrial
and domestic sources and runo rom
agricultural lands (so-called non-point source
pollution) are increasing problems in terms
o deteriorating water quality in the Marshes.The growth in population and the economy
will urther exacerbate this problem, as periodic
fushing o the Marshes no longer occurs. There
is a crucial need to limit point and non-point
source pollution rom reaching the Marshes.
Key fACtoR 5
waste water and pollution
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To reduce waste water and pollution, construct efficient sewage
treatment facilities (or update existing ones), and reduce non-point
sources of pollution such as agricultural runoff.
Existing treatment plants are inecient and/
or beyond capacity, and regulations are not
enorced consistently. Many cities, including
Amara, Nassriya and Naja, discharge untreated
wastewater directly into marsh tributaries.
Current research shows some heavy metal
contamination o marsh waters (e.g., lead and
nickel). There is also pollution rom agricultural
sources (e.g. pesticide runo) as well as rom
past military operations in the area.
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em
south AriCA: eeCtive mANAgemeNt
o iNdustriAL WAste WAter
Th twn rbtsn in s Aca had th issu
th winis and a gap juic cncntatin plant that
pducd funt that did nt mt lgislativ quimnts.
In additin t this, th municipal funt tatmnt
plant was alad at ull capacit. Th winis and plant
dischagd thi funt thugh an iigatin sstm,
cating wat and nvinmntal pllutin du t th high
salt and ganic cntnt th funt. A pjct was st
up t ncuag all k stakhlds t implmnt btt
reCoMMended aCtions
5.1 Develop, adopt and enforce a National Clean Water Act for Iraq. The Act should
include drinking/industrial/agricultural water quality protection guidelines.
5.2 Minimize non-point sources of pollution through good agricultural practices.
5.3 Adopt best practices for water conservation and waste-water management.
5.4 Encourage the use of phytotechnology to treat waste water(using
phytoplankton to absorb pollutants).
5.5 Examine the use of grey water and/or treated recycled waterfor agricultural
uses, toilets, etc.
5.6 Establish sewage treatment facilities in cities and villages that impact the
Marshes.
wat cnsvatin and dmand managmnt masus.
Th pjct did this b pviding incntivs th us
g wat th pupss. Th pjct includd an
assssmnt th tchnical, cmmcial and nvinmntal
viabilit wat ccling and us and th sults will
b usd t dvlp apppiat wat managmnt plic.
Th cas highlights th imptanc ngaging all k
stakhlds in pjct planning and implmntatin as wll
as th nd t includ scial, cnmic and nvinmntal
cnsidatins in valuatin citia.
F m inmatin plas s http://www.gwptlbx.g/indx.php?ptin=cm_cas&id=96&Itmid=39.
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C
Economic growth in Iraq, particularly in the
agricultural sector, will create greater demand
or the limited water available. Already,
upstream withdrawals severely limit the
amount o water reaching the Marshes. Unless
water to the Marshes becomes a priorityrelative to water or other uses, there simply
will not be enough water to sustain these
valuable wetlands.
Key fACtoR 6
competition
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To reduce the extent and nature of water-management conflicts in
the Marshes.
Agriculture uses over 80% o available water.
In 2000, the gures were: 88% agricultural,
7% domestic and 5% industrial. No modern
irrigation techniques, e.g., drip irrigation,
are used.
An estimated 120,000 km o waterways
provide increased opportunities or water loss
due to evaporation and seepage.
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emthe North ChiNA PLAiN
Th til N Cna Plan is n th mst dnsl
ppulatd gins in th wld and wat scacit is
an v-incasing issu. Gundwat is vusd and
adding uth hdaulic inastuctu can n lng
mt gwing agicultual dmands. Th agicultual
wat suppl must cmpt with dmands th uss.
Wat scacit is wsnd b th pllutin sulting m
hav industializatin and th apid gwth th uban
ppulatin.
Th Nth China Plain Wat Cnsvatin Pjct
addssd ths issus b impving xisting iigatin
tchnlg, intducing nw and impvd agicultual
mthds t cnsv wat, and dvlping institutinal
capacit wat and sil cnsvatin. Th pjct,
amng ths, incasd wat pductivit, ducd
cnsumptiv us and ducd gundwat dpltin t
ngligibl lvls. This cas highlights th imptanc
pviding apppiat incntivs t mdi wat us
pactics as wll as th nd nging mniting and
valuatin in d t vi th cac wat-saving
masus.
reCoMMended aCtions
6.1 Adopt best management practices in agriculture (e.g. drip irrigation
technology).
6.2 Encourage the adoption of less water intensive agriculture through crop
substitution.
6.3 Allocate more water to the Marshes to improve the regions economic and
social conditions (e.g. this could revitalize the offshore shery in the Gulf that
was devastated by the drying of the Marshes).
6.4 Introduce impartial forums at which various users of the Marshes can resolve
potential water resource conicts.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.gwptlbx.
g/indx.php?ptin=cm_cas&id=236&Itmid=13
http://sitsucs.wldbank.g/INTWAT/
rsucs/4602114-1203518899290/China_IV.pd.
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Iraq needs to draw on these examples to limit
the debilitating eects o drought in the uture.
In 2008-09, rainall and runo were 40%
below average or Iraq, and the size o the
Marshes was reduced almost to 2003 levels.
Under climate change, uture droughts will be
more requent, longer and more extreme.During the drought o 2009, water in the
marshes became more saline, as salts remained
C
Drought poses an increasing threat to not only
the Marshes, but to the entire agricultural
sector in Iraq. Droughts are likely to increase
in both requency and magnitude with global
warming and the country needs to implement
a drought-management strategy as soon as
possible. There are many examples o howto reduce the risk o natural disasters through
work done by the UN and its member states.
Key fACtoR 7
drought and climate change
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To reduce the negative impacts of drought in the Marshes.
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on the soil surace or moved rom below due
to capillary action. In addition, there was an
increase in microorganisms such as e. coli; the
levels o chloride, magnesium and calcium
increased; the water became more acid; the
amount o dissolved oxygen in the water
decreased; and plant diversity also decreased.Some o these changes have led to increased
levels o illness in people and animals as well
as negative impacts on economic activities
like shing.
em
iNdiA: guJArAt JAL-dishA 2010:
CommuNity WAter mANAgemeNt
iN the CoNtext o drought
In ina, gjaa acs cuing pblms dught,
wat shtags, fuin cntaminatin and castal
saltwat intusin. Th gvnmnt built th Namada
Dam t dal with ths issus, but th pblms
psistd. As a sult, a dialgu btwn gvnmnts,
lcal cmmunitis, civil scit and th stakhlds
was initiatd (via und tabls, villag mtings and
cating lcal wat managmnt cmmitts) and
culminatd in th adptin a lng-tm statg
wat managmnt, Jal-Disha 2010. Th statg
invlvd an assssmnt wat sucs; adpting
lw-cst, apppiat and lcal dught-managmnt
slutins; cmmunit invstmnts in basin-wid dught
managmnt initiativs; and shaing cmmunit
xpincs in daling with th issus. This cas
highlights th ctivnss a paticipat appach
t dvlping cmmunit-basd, basin-wid intgatd
wat suc managmnt statgis.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.gwptlbx.
g/indx.php?ptin=cm_cas&id=29&Itmid=45.
reCoMMended aCtions
7.1 Adopt and implement a drought-management strategy that
will include forecasting, impact assessment, preparedness
and mitigation measures.
7.2 Adopt a plan for disaster risk reduction, includingsupporting the UNs Hyogo Framework for Action.
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C
There is currently minimal ocus on
community level initiatives or water and
waste-water management, resource use and
environmental stewardship. Unsustainablepractices at the community level, such as
shing using poisons and explosives, and
disposal o domestic and livestock waste
have resulted in increased pollution o marsh
waters and ewer sh, among other unwanted
outcomes.
Key fACtoR 8
community stewardship
ManageMent oBjeCtive
To improve traditional methods of dealing with resources and the
environment by incorporating new and effective resource management
methods.
In light o the changing health o the Marshes,
it maybe necessary to revise and rethink
traditional community practices and draw
upon other experiences in order to improve
local conditions. The term best managementpractices has been applied throughout
the world to ecological restoration and
revitalization. Many o these practices have
proven to be cost eective in restoring the
health o other marshes and wetlands.
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reCoMMended aCtions
That all levels of government:
8.1 Work collaboratively to develop and adopt best management practices for
application in the Marshes in the following key areas: water quality, shing,
farming, animal production and biodiversity.
8.2 Build capacity in the areas of best management practices that include
education and awareness; treatment; regulation; and enforcement.
8.3 Adopt strategies to ensure that local residents become knowledgeable of best
management practices and of their benets to the community.
em
moroCCo: CommuNity mANAgemeNt o
WAter resourCes iN the imLiL vALLey
In mcc ill vall, cmmunitis acd wat
shtags, sasnal fuctuatins, and lng distancs t
wat sucs. Fiv cmmunitis wkd with a Mccan
NGo t dvlp a wat cd basd n th lcal taditin
cmmunit-basd wat ganizatin. Th cd
utlind th cnditins accss t, and us , wat.
Futhm, it piitizd wat uss, laid ut ights and
spnsibilitis, and st ns vilatins. This cashighlights th imptanc stting up cla gulatins
(th wat cd), intgating lcal taditins/institutins,
and appaching wat managmnt m a basin-wid
pspctiv.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.gwptlbx.
g/indx.php?ptin=cm_cas&id=42&Itmid=15.
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em
ergANA vALLey o CeNtrAL AsiA:
imProviNg LoCAL LiveLihoods
In th ana vall Cnal Aa, wat inastuctu
dtiatd at th bak-up th USSr and had angativ ct n agicultual ilds. Th gvnmnts
dcidd t initiat ms in th wat sct, lagl
basd n a patial tans spnsibilit patins
and maintnanc t wat uss. Wat uss cllctd
s and gaind gat ights t manag th wat
svics and nsu impvd accss t iigatin wat.
Th ida was t impv th cinc and liabilit
wat svic thugh dictl invlving ams in th
dcisin-making and managmnt. This cas shws
th imptanc stablishing apppiat us s
and nsuing a avuabl bnt-t-cst ati in d
t ngag lcal wat uss. rsults hav bn mixdthus a, and sach n th pjct has pvidd
cmmndatins t impv its ctivnss.
F m inmatin, plas s http://www.gwptlbx.
g/imags/stis/cass/n/cs%20362_%20
ghana_ull_vs.pd.
reCoMMended aCtions
9.1 Develop a demographic and economic prole of the Marsh peoples and their
movements within the Marshes and in other parts of Iraq.
9.2 Develop a ve-year urgent community services plan that addresses the
immediate crisis affecting the areas of potable water, food, housing, health,
education and personal safety. This could include such actions as:
9.2.1 Implementing an effective literacy strategy to improve the education of
all men, women, boys and girls;
9.2.2 Implementing effective actions to prevent ongoing violence in the home
and ensure safe conditions for women, men, girls and boys;
9.2.3 Undertaking a coordinated plan to remove land mines and unexploded
ordnance;
9.2.4 Adopting best practices for preventing illnesses and treating diseases.
9.3 Develop a long-term economic development strategy for the Marshes that is
integrated into district and government plans. This could include such actions
as assessing the potential for intensive aquaculture as well as examiningalternative investments or businesses that are not dependent on the Marshes.
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reCoMMended aCtions
10.1 Legislate specic protected areas within the Marshes that complement the
Ramsar boundaries along with the proposed site(s) for the World Heritage
Site.
10.2 Use the Marsh Classication System and guidelines set forth by the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) and the World Commission on Protected Areas
(WCPA) to delineate a protected area for the Marshes. Figure 20 shows one
possible conguration.
em
In 2007, th pvinc Bitish Clumbia and th
Haida Natin (th indignus ppl th Haida
Gwaii islands), signd th Land Us Plan Haida
Gwaii. Th Plan includd pvisins ptcting
appximatl 50% th islands sts as wll as
ctain animal spcis that a ith ndangd
ndmic t th islands and cntlling th numb
tuists visiting th aa t maximiz pt whil
minimizing nvinmntal impact. Th maining land
bas is gvnd b a nw m csstm-basd
managmnt and shad dcisin-making btwn th
Haida Natin and Bitish Clumbia. Th cas highlights
that managing cnmic and nvinmntal intsts nd
nt b an ith/ scnai, but ath that bth can b
accmmdatd with sm cativit, had wk and th
invlvmnt th lcal ppulatin. F m inmatin,
plas s http://www.haidanatin.ca/Pags/Pgams/
Land_Us_Planning/Land_Us_Plan.html.
CANAdA: eCosystem-bAsed mANAgemeNt ANd shAred deCisioN-mAkiNg iN hAidA
gWAii , british CoLumbiA
8/6/2019 Managing for Change CIMI Final Report
52/64
44
C o n C l u s i o n
Managing or Changepromotes an integrated
approach to wetlands management by stressingthe importance o having a strong scientic
basis coupled with local knowledge in making
decisions on the Marshes. A science-based
approach provides the necessary condition or
all uture decisions on the Marshes, but it must
be supplemented by addressing questions o
the optimal extent o the wetlands, the quality
o the remaining wetlands and the well-being
o Marsh residents. Iraqi scientists, governmen