Canada Iraq Marshlands Initiative

Welcome

The Southern Iraqi Marshlands were once among the largest wetlands in the world, comprising an area of almost 20 000 sq. km. Many scholars have suggested that this region was also the “cradle of civilization” and the home of the biblical Garden of Eden. In the 1990s, the Iraqi regime drained the Marshlands for political and economic reasons, resulting in significant negative ecological and cultural impacts. The Marshlands were home to many kinds of plants and animals – some unique to the region – as well as between 400 000 and 500 000 people (there are no reliable population data). By 2003, the areal extent of the Marshlands was reduced to 9% of its original (1973) and 80% of Marsh dwellers were forced to leave. The pending ecological and human disaster stimulated a concerted international effort to restore the Marshlands in a manner suitable to the residents of the region.

Canada’s involvement with the Marshlands began in 2004 with the creation of the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative (CIMI), a project focused on wetlands management and the biology of the Marshlands led by the University of Waterloo. The second phase of the project (CIMI-II) began in September, 2007, and is being coordinated by the University of Victoria. This project is a part of international and Iraqi efforts to restore the natural environment while helping to improve the lives of the people living in the Marshlands. CIMI-II is committed to working with Iraqis to create a long-term Management and Development Plan for the Marshlands. As part of this effort, the project also focuses on meeting basic needs by organizing workshops on issues such as women and health or local crafts.