Rain Revives Iraq's Marshes After Years of Drought

A fishing boat glides gently on the water surface of the southern Iraqi marshes, creating sparkling ripples on what was once arid land now revived by prolonged rains.

Water flows through nearly all of the Huwaizah marsh, dotted with patches of lush greenery, with water buffaloes immersing themselves in the water or leisurely grazing on the nearby dense vegetation.

Above, numerous birds soar, their reflections cast on the calm water surface, part of the protected biodiversity in this millennia-old Mesopotamian wetland.

Years of drought, attributed to climate change and upstream dams from neighboring countries, have devastated the Iraqi marshes—believed to be the Biblical Garden of Eden—located between the two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates.

But a few rains this winter have revived hope for residents and admirers alike.

While rowing his long wooden boat, dressed in a white robe (abaya) and headscarf (keffiyeh), fisherman Kazem Kasid told AFP that "life will return, along with fish and livestock, and people will feel their homeland and future restored."

Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources reported that reservoirs on the Tigris River are nearly full and expects the Euphrates River water level to rise in the coming days if Syria releases water from its dams.

As a result, the marshes are experiencing "a relative revival."

Activist Ahmed Saleh Neema noted that the Huwaizah marsh had not received this amount of water for years, adding that 85% of the wetland area is now flooded, although water depth still needs to increase.

"That's good. It means the marshes won't dry up this summer," when temperatures reach up to 50 degrees Celsius.