Dhi Qar warns of an environmental disaster

 Baghdad-INA 

The Directorate of Environment of Dhi Qar Governorate confirmed today, Thursday, its move to declare the marshes (disaster areas) due to the problem of drought, while warning of the consequences of an environmental disaster as a result of low water levels.

Director of Dhi Qar Environment, Karim Hadi Muhammad, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), "Large areas in the marshlands were exposed to drought as a result of the low water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are considered a major source of nourishment for the marsh areas, which greatly affected the economic and social reality of the population of the areas.".
He added, "The residents of these areas depend for their livelihood on fishing and raising buffaloes, and these animals are linked to an abundance of water, so the lack of water and drought will lead to their death with the significant rise in temperatures.".

He added, "Through our environmental cadres' tours in the marshlands, we prepared reports to the Ministry of Environment and the concerned authorities in the province about the environmental deterioration of the marsh areas.

Two weeks ago, an emergency meeting of the Marsh and Antiquities Committee was held in Dhi Qar Governorate, in partnership with the concerned authorities, to discuss the reality of its environmental and social.

The Committee indicated that "the areas of the marshes will be declared disaster areas soon because of the environmental disasters they are exposed to, so we recommend the need to increase water releases in order to preserve the areas of the marshes that receive global attention after their inclusion in the World Heritage List."
In turn, Adnan al-Moussawi, director of the Marsh Revitalization Department in Dhi Qar, confirmed to the Iraqi News Agency that "
He added, "The intake pipes of the Al-Ghamiha water project in the Jabayish district have also been transferred to the main column of the Euphrates River, and there are purification and dredging works in all areas of Dhi Qar Governorate with the aim of addressing the scarcity in the marshes."