Iraq Marshlands Rebound to Go on Despite Turmoil

Reuters News Service ^ | Dec. 8, 2006 | unlisted

[caveat emptor]

TOKYO - Ancient marshlands in southeastern Iraq drained by Saddam Hussein have rebounded to nearly half their former area, and progress should continue despite turmoil currently rocking the nation, UN officials said on Thursday.

The marshlands, believed by some to be the location of the biblical Garden of Eden, once totalled an area nearly the size of Wales and provided a resting spot for thousands of wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa.

"Good news out of Iraq is not very common these days," said Robert Bisset, press officer for the United Nations Environment Programme, at a news conference announcing the results of the first phase of a marshlands restoration project funded by Japan.

[caveat emptor]

Al-Reuters ignores US participation. See here , here, and here .

The Marsh Arabs build beautiful reed structures. The arches in these buildings are made from bundles of reeds.

[caveat emptor]

ping

[saganite]

You would think the Greenies would be all over this celebrating the return of the natural environment.

Nah.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Oh god..something positive about Iraq..whatever you do, don't tell Americans.

[caveat emptor]

You would think the Greenies would be all over this celebrating the return of the natural environment.

I haven't heard that any are celebrating, nor have I heard that Sierra Club, Greenpeace, etc are helping with funding for restoration. I did read that some are protesting that the Marsh folk are turning some of the former marsh into agricultural areas.

[brushcop]

My son's Infantry C.O. told me about these folks. He knew their history and culture, oh, I forgot, soldiers are stupid, ignorant and uncultured, excuse me...

[Daaave]

Thanks for posting this. I've been interested in this region since I read about it in National Geographic, years ago.