“The Garden of Eden” National ParkPrior to the 20th century, the lands between the Tigris and the Eu

“The Garden of Eden” National ParkPrior to the 20th century, the lands between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers south of the city of Baghdad formed a series of spectacular marshes, filled with floodplains, grasses, reeds, and waterways. Some 278 different species of birds are reported to occupy these marshes, and they are often casually referred to as the “Garden of Eden” due to their location in the Middle East and their lush vegetation.The 20th century has not been kind to these marshes. As the area is a desert, the water is in high demand for civilization, and the water that filled these wetlands began being diverted for agriculture and industrial activities as early as the 1950’s.The draining increased following the 1991 Gulf War, as the native Ma'dan people in the area supported an uprising against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. After the rebellion was crushed, the Iraqi dictator built a series of dikes to divert the water away as a form of punishment, and over 90% of the marshland was drained.Following the 2003 overthrow of Hussein, the local people destroyed some of these dikes, allowing for the return of some water, but as the water is in demand elsewhere, the fight for the water is ongoing. The restoration of portions of the wetlands has allowed wildlife such as buffalo and the many species of birds to multiply in the region again, and has allowed the towns to rebuild from the devastation.In 2013, the Iraqi government took another step towards permanently preserving these historic and ecologically-valuable marshes. The Iraqi government has named these marshes the nation’s first national park.What this means in the long term in terms of the land that is protected and how much land is put in the national park is a question to be decided, but this designation should guarantee the marshlands and their advocates a strong voice in deciding how Iraq’s water resources are used.In a test 2012 project, water was diverted from the Euphrates river during the spring to the marshlands and a significant amount of them were able to be restored to wetlands, albeit temporarily. Creating Iraq’s first national park in this region is a valuable step towards making that restoration permanent.-JBBPress report:http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21929285.000-garden-of-eden-to-become-iraqi-national-park.htmlImage credit: the Ruya Foundation for contemporary culture in Iraqhttp://www.theiraqpavilion.com/2013/01/ -- source link

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