Iraq's Historic Marshes Revive as Water Levels Rise After Drought

Rising water levels are reviving Iraq's historic marshes after years of severe drought left large areas cracked and empty, drawing buffalo herders and fishermen back to regions once abandoned. In the southern Chibayish marshes, canoes glide through waterways that had dried up in recent years while water buffalo wade through restored marshland and patches of green pasture have reappeared.

The revival follows heavy winter rainfall that boosted reservoir levels, enabling the water resources ministry to release growing volumes into the wetlands. Some time ago, all our livestock died and there was no water at all. Many of our people migrated because of the drought.

Haidar Qassem, a farmer raising water buffalo in the central marsh, described the recent return of water this year, with livestock numbers recovering and some families coming back. Residents continue to hope for further water releases to sustain the gains.

Iraqi marshland expert Jassim al-Assadi said the Ishan Hallab area, part of the marshes believed by some to be the biblical Garden of Eden and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016, had dried up completely between 2021 and 2025. In recent months wetter conditions have helped restore the area, reviving pastureland and allowing some residents to return.

Al-Assadi reported the proportion of submerged marshland has risen to between 32% and 36%, compared with no more than 8% over the past five years. Iraqi water resources officials confirmed that assessment. The higher water levels are supporting a gradual recovery in biodiversity, including fish stocks, vegetation growth and reeds that residents use to build traditional homes.

The marshes have been inhabited for thousands of years by the Marsh Arabs, whose livelihoods and traditions depend closely on the water.

Wadai, a water resources official, said larger inflows, improved water management and stronger seasonal rainfall had boosted reserves in dams and increased flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, allowing more water to reach the marshes. The water resources ministry stated that Iraq's strategic reserves have increased by about 6 billion cubic metres this year.

That increase gives authorities greater flexibility to manage supplies during the summer months. The marshes once stretched across more than 3,600 square miles but were heavily drained in the 1990s in a bid to root out insurgents, prompting many residents to flee.

Since 2003 parts of the wetlands have been reflooded by the government, with around 250,000 Marsh Arabs gradually returning over the years. For residents like buffalo herder Raheem Abdul Zahra the recent improvements have transformed daily life. >The land was dry, but now it's alive again.

The return of water has already begun restoring both the ecosystem and the traditional way of life tied to these ancient wetlands.