A massive fish die-off in the drought-stricken marshlands of southern Iraq has sparked warnings from officials about a looming “environmental and economic catastrophe.”
“Hawizeh Marshes have seen millions of fish die due to the failure to release water, leading to a lack of oxygen,” Hussein al-Mariani, a member of the Maysan provincial council, said in a statement to Rudaw on Friday.
Situated between Maysan and Basra provinces along the Iraq-Iran border, the Hawizeh Marshes span roughly 1,377 square kilometers.
Together with the Central and al-Hammar Marshes, they form the Mesopotamian Marshes, once the largest wetland ecosystem in Western Eurasia. These marshes rely on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, whose water levels have significantly dropped in recent years.
The United Nations has identified Iraq as one of the countries most at risk from climate change impacts, such as water and food shortages. The nation faces a critical water crisis due to declining rainfall and rising temperatures.
