Challenges and Opportunities of the Ecological and Social Restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshes

Abstract:

The Mesopotamian Marshlands (MM) are a unique freshwater ecosystem and sociocultural site that was home to the Sumerian culture more than 5,000 years ago and, until recently, was home to approximately 500,000 Madan people, commonly referred to as the Marsh Arabs. in the early 1970s, with increasing anthropogenic pressures and water demand in the Euphrates River watershed, the MM began to experience hydrological alterations and ecosystem degradation. Even more critically, after the Gulf War in 1991, Saddam Hussein’s regime began diverting water of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers away from the marshes, drying 97 percent of the Central Marshes, 94 percent of the Al-Hammar Marsh, and 65 percent of the Al-Hawizeh marsh. In April 2003, marsh restoration via reflooding began and 50-60% of the MM were recovered. This action has improved habitat and biodiversity and also supported the return of some of the Madan people and their culture to the marshes. To identify challenges and successes in MM restoration practices, we qualitatively analyzed restoration progress from multiple social-ecological perspectives. Synthesizing the available information was useful for better defining restoration goals and led us to conclude the following: 1) based on the long-term record, reflooding was generally beneficial for the marsh ecosystem and the return of the Madan people; 2) to achieve ecological restoration targets and sustain the Marsh Arabs’ culture and coexistence in the marsh, it is important to solve a number of remaining challenges, including water shortage, pollution, and a lack of healthcare, potable water, and infrastructure in the Madan villages; 3) restoration planning needs to consider the needs of the Marsh Arabs, biodiversity conservation, wetland protection, and long-term hydrological changes.