Restoration of Iraqi Masrshlands - Essay Example

uxuriant growth contrasting with the arid landscape of most of the region; however following a directive by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 1993, these historic marshlands are being drained”. The development of Iraqi Marshlands has been an issue that examined thoroughly by the local authorities. More specifically, the future of these marshlands had to be evaluated in accordance with their role in the ecosystem of the whole region. The survival of these marshlands should be therefore a priority for the Iraqi authorities.

However, the political decisions of the years that followed 1993 led to the total destruction of these marshlands. Although many efforts have been made since the change of the political conditions in Iraq for the reconstruction of these marshlands, this effort would be considered rather difficult to be realized taking into account the area that these marshlands cover and their importance for the financial and natural development of the greater region. In this paper, the restoration of Iraqi Marshlands will be examined as of its feasibility taking into account that any relevant initiative should be thoroughly examined and carefully designed while the appropriate strategies should be followed for the retrieval of the necessary funds for the completion of this project.

In order to understand the role of marshlands in the greater Mesopotamian region, it is necessary to present the main forms of marsh as they can be observed in various geographical regions around the world. In this context, it has been found that “in geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water; a marsh is different from a swamp, which has a greater proportion of open water surface, and is generally deeper than a marsh” (Wikipedia, 2007, Marsh).

In accordance with the above description, a marsh can have many forms depending on the