Iraq's Marshes See Partial Recovery as Water Levels Rise After Severe Drought

Water buffaloes waded through shallow waters at the Chibayish marshes in Iraq on May 8, 2026, as rising water levels began reviving the historic wetlands after years of drought. In Chibayish marshes in southern Iraq, canoes are once again gliding through waterways that had dried up in recent years. Water buffalo are wading through restored marshland while patches of green pasture have reappeared.

Haidar Qassem, a farmer raising water buffalo in the central marsh, described the severity of the recent dry spell. "Some time ago, all our livestock died and there was no water at all," he said. Qassem added that many of their people migrated because of the drought, but water had returned this year, livestock numbers were recovering and some families had come back.

The change follows heavy winter rainfall that boosted reservoir levels, enabling Iraq’s water resources ministry to release growing volumes of water into the marshes. Mazin 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.

Iraq's strategic reserves have increased by about 6 billion cubic meters this year, the water resources ministry said.

Iraqi marshland expert Jassim al-Assadi said the Ishan Hallab area, part of Iraq's marshes some believe is the biblical Garden of Eden, had dried up completely between 2021 and 2025. Herders abandoned the Ishan Hallab area during that period. Wetter conditions in recent months restored the Ishan Hallab area.

The proportion of submerged marshland has risen to between 32% and 36%, al-Assadi said. It was no more than 8% over the past five years. Iraqi water resources officials confirmed the submerged marshland proportion figures.

Higher water levels are supporting gradual recovery in biodiversity including fish stocks, vegetation growth and reeds. Reeds are used by residents to build traditional homes. The marshes have been inhabited for thousands of years by the Marsh Arabs.

Iraq's marshes once stretched across more than 9,500 square kilometers. They were heavily drained in the 1990s by Saddam Hussein, who accused the Marsh Arabs of treachery during the 1980-1988 war with Iran. Many residents fled after the marshes were drained in the 1990s.

Parts of the wetlands have been reflooded by the government since Saddam Hussein's overthrow in 2003. Around 250,000 Marsh Arabs have gradually returned since 2003. The marshes were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016.

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," he said. The Japan Times reported the developments from Chibayish on May 8, 2026.