Iraq marshlands partially restored. Good news says the UN.
Ancient marshlands in southeastern Iraq drained
by Saddam Hussein have rebounded to nearly half their former area, and progress
should continue despite turmoil currently rocking the nation, U.N. officials
said on Thursday.
Ancient marshlands in southeastern Iraq drained by
Saddam Hussein have rebounded to nearly half their former area, and
progress should continue despite turmoil currently rocking the nation, U.N.
officials said on Thursday.
The marshlands, believed by some to be the location of the biblical Garden of Eden, once totalled an area nearly the size of Wales and provided a resting spot for thousands of wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa.
“Good news out of Iraq is not very common these days,” said Robert Bisset, press officer for the United Nations Environment Programme, at a news conference announcing the results of the first phase of a marshlands restoration project funded by Japan.
“Everything isn’t perfect in the marshlands, but there are some very positive stories,” he added.
The marshes were the homeland of Iraq’s Marsh Arab people, who had inhabited the marshlands at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers for thousands of years.
Saddam, though, accused the Marsh Arabs of desertion and fighting against his forces during the 1980-1988 war with Iran and of harbouring criminals and dissenters, and he ordered the area to be dammed and drained.
After Saddam’s downfall, local residents destroyed many of the dams, freeing the water. Their efforts were supplemented by the U.N.-led restoration project, which has enabled the marshes to rebound to nearly half their former area and prompted the return of thousands of birds and fish.
A second phase of the U.N.-led project began earlier this year and is being funded by Japan and Italy.
It’s great to see the US-led coalition achieving something productive and welcomed by the Iraqi people.
What’s that? It’s a UN-led project — with the Japanese and Italians.
Oh.
The marshlands, believed by some to be the location of the biblical Garden of Eden, once totalled an area nearly the size of Wales and provided a resting spot for thousands of wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa.
“Good news out of Iraq is not very common these days,” said Robert Bisset, press officer for the United Nations Environment Programme, at a news conference announcing the results of the first phase of a marshlands restoration project funded by Japan.
“Everything isn’t perfect in the marshlands, but there are some very positive stories,” he added.
The marshes were the homeland of Iraq’s Marsh Arab people, who had inhabited the marshlands at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers for thousands of years.
Saddam, though, accused the Marsh Arabs of desertion and fighting against his forces during the 1980-1988 war with Iran and of harbouring criminals and dissenters, and he ordered the area to be dammed and drained.
After Saddam’s downfall, local residents destroyed many of the dams, freeing the water. Their efforts were supplemented by the U.N.-led restoration project, which has enabled the marshes to rebound to nearly half their former area and prompted the return of thousands of birds and fish.
A second phase of the U.N.-led project began earlier this year and is being funded by Japan and Italy.
It’s great to see the US-led coalition achieving something productive and welcomed by the Iraqi people.
What’s that? It’s a UN-led project — with the Japanese and Italians.
Oh.
Posted: Fri - December 8, 2006 at 05:39 AM