Managing for Change CIMI Final Report

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).


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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


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.


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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8

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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9

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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10

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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11

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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13

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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14

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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15

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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16

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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17

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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18

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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19

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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20

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


29/64


30/64

22

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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23

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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24

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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25

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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26

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)


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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27

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)


To guarantee an adequate annual supply of water reaches the Marshes.


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29

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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31

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


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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33

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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34

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


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.


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


To reduce the negative impacts of drought in the Marshes.


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37

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.



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


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.




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41

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.


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


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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

Documents

Managing for Change CIMI Final Report