Can We Restore the Marches in Iraq (Garden of Eden)?

Abstract

Iraqi marshes are located within the southern part of Iraq where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers join. There are three main marshes (Hammar Central and Hawizeh). They used to cover an area 15,000 - 20,000 square kilometers. The government of Iraq started to dry the marshes since 1990 for military reasons. Oil companies started to work in that area, and they occupied about 25% of that area. After 2003, the government changed, and they started to restore the remainder 75% of marshes. To achieve this goal, they require about 13 billion cubic kilometers of water (BCM). The problem was the scarcity of water due to the building of dams in riparian countries and climate change. It is believed that if the government follows a prudent water resources strategy, then it will be possible to restore the marshes.