Iraq's Chibayish marshes are dying in the drought

After years of drought, "the marshes are dead," says water buffalo herder Watheq Abbas. The Chibayish marshes in southern Iraq, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have been almost destroyed. Cattle breeders, hunters and herders are losing their livelihoods. Many residents have already left the marshlands.

The Chibayish marshes, crisscrossed by waterways, are located in the Iraqi province of Dhi Qar. The fertile wetlands sustained early civilizations in Mesopotamia and, according to legend, the biblical "Garden of Eden" was located here. Instead of water and marsh grass, the remaining waterways are surrounded by barren, cracked earth.

For generations, cattle farmers in the region have moved through the swamps with herds of water buffalo. They follow the water. In intense heat that is frequently over 40 degrees Celsius, the buffalo have to spend around 14 hours a day in the water to cool down. “In the past, the drought would last one or two years,” says cattle herder Abbas. "Now we've gone without water for five years."

In 2025, the authorities reported the hottest summer in Iraq since 1933. High temperatures and a lack of rain have caused moisture in the marshlands to evaporate. Dams in Turkey, Syria, and Iran have further reduced the flow of water through the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Environmental activists have been campaigning for decades to restore the marshes.

“There's a battle for water,” says environmental activist Jassim al-Assadi from the NGO Nature Iraq. Around 20 years ago, environmental activists attempted to reflood 5,600 square kilometers of marshland. In the 1990s, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had the marshes drained to drive out Shiite militias. Today, only 800 square kilometers of flooded marshland remain, according to Assadi.

With the disappearance of the marshes, cattle herders and fishermen are losing their livelihoods. Abandoned houses bear witness to the exodus of families. The unique ecosystem is suffering drastic damage. Fish, otters, migratory birds, and the typical reed grass are receding. "from 140 species of wild birds we are now down to 22," reports Wissam al-Assadi, a veterinarian.

Veterinarian Wissam al-Assadi cares for local herders and their herds. Many water buffaloes have lost almost half their body weight, their immune systems are weakened, and "diseases multiply," according to al-Assadi. The buffaloes now produce only a third of their usual amount of milk. A UN report warns that without urgent protective measures, the buffalo population is "at risk of extinction."

Water is scarce in Iraq and the government has had to ration its use. The waterways in the marshes have been dug deeper so that they remain navigable and herders can cool their buffalo herds there. Herder Towayeh Faraj is the last member of his family to herd buffalo. Of 120 animals, he now has only 30 left. “If the livestock is alive, so are we,” says the 50-year-old.