Al-Hawizeh Marsh (Iraq) (AFP) - A fishing boat is quietly making its way through the waters of the marshes of southern Iraq, creating soft ripples that reach the wetlands extending on both banks, which until recently were suffering from cracks due to drought, until the rains recently revived them after a long wait.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 13:55

Green spots are scattered on the water surface returning to the stream that runs through most of the Hawizeh marshes, while buffalo and animals immerse themselves inside it or graze on the lush grass next to it.

Above the still body of water, birds of various species fly, their images reflected in it as if it were a mirror, and in turn reflecting the rich biodiversity that is protected in these Mesopotamian marshes.

However, these ancient marshes have suffered from drought for years due to climate change and dams built in neighboring countries on the upper rivers, which has exhausted these fertile lands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are believed to be the Garden of Eden referred to in the book of the Old Testament.

However, the periods of rainfall witnessed in the winter this year pumped life back into the arteries of Al-Hawizeh, and restored hope to the residents and lovers of these marshes alike.

While the fisherman Kazem Kassed was sailing in his long wooden boat, wearing his white abaya and wearing a keffiyeh, he told Agence France-Presse, “Life and fish and animal resources will return, and people will feel that their monastery (country) and their future have returned.”

He added, "My message to the people who live here is the following: This is your land and your monastery, and I hope that you will defend it more and cherish it because it is your original homeland and the source of your life and livelihood for generations after generations."

The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources stated that "the dams of the Tigris River are about to be filled," expecting "the levels of the Euphrates River to rise in the coming days" if Syria releases water from its dams.

Hence, the marshes are witnessing a “relative recovery” at the present time.

Activist Ahmed Saleh Neama confirms that the Hawizeh marshes have not seen this amount of water in years, adding that the water has flooded 85 percent of the wetlands, although there is a need for its depth to be greater.

He added, "We opened all the water release gates from the dams and dams towards the marshes in order to fill the largest possible quantity before summer comes."

“It is a good thing,” he explains, “because it means that the marshes will not dry out this summer,” when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius.

© 2026 AFP

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