The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities

• Legal Framework
• Need to conduct further studies regarding minimum water flows, to confirm the biodiversity within the property and its surrounding landscapes
• Incomplete designation of all the components of the property as legally protected areas
• Need to regulate oil and gas concessions, and other potentially impacting activities in the buffer zones of the property
• Highly unstable conservation conditions of the archaeological sites 
• Need for a detailed master plan/road map that ensures the conservation of the property on a sustainable basis
• Need for an effective implementation of the consolidated management plan 

2017: Heritage Emergency Fund – support to Iraqi World Heritage properties: USD 100,000

On 31 January 2020 the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, and on 31 January 2021 an updated report, in addition to a report on the cultural components of the property submitted on 28 January 2021. The reports are available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1481/documents/, providing the following information:

• Some surveys were carried out at Tell Eridu and some conservation and maintenance work was carried out at Ur. However, further archaeological work was impeded in 2019 by instability and in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic: this includes maintenance, survey work, and conservation planning. In response to the urgent conditions of the stone building at Uruk, it was re-buried until conservation can take place again;
• From November 2018 to May 2019, an inflow of 12.3 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water from heavy rains and flooding of the Tigris River and eastern borders exceeded the 5.8 BCM minimum requirement by 112%. Positive environmental outcomes include increased vegetation cover by 331%, recovery of biodiversity, such as the reappearance of water flora not recorded in 15 years, and increased fish stocks. In 2020, inflow was 4.8 BCM, and water quality monitoring and improvement works were undertaken;
• Dialogue with the States Parties of Turkey and Islamic Republic of Iran is ongoing including meetings of the Iraqi-Turkish Joint Economic Committee to secure water levels required for the sustainability of the marshes; a draft legal agreement was presented by the Iraqi Minister for Water Resources on required water resources to the State Party of Turkey; and discussions to establish an Iraqi-Turkish Joint Water Research Centre in Iraq and activate a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2012 on common water management issues are underway;
• Concerns regarding negative impacts of the construction of the ‘Al Jazeera’ dam in Turkey on the quality and quantity of Iraq’s water shares within the Tigris River were expressed to the State Party of Turkey. Operation of the Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River in Turkey is planned without causing harm to Iraq, with a fixed share agreement for the discharges released from the dam;
• The World Heritage designation provides legal protection for natural components as protected areas within the national framework. A process is underway to modify the Wildlife Protection Law to widen protection for the property. In 2020, a draft law has been submitted that provides protection for the natural components;
• Oil activities were limited and exploration in the vicinity of the property discontinued due to inundation of the Ahwar swamps. Oil companies are required to adhere to environmental impact studies in line with environmental regulations and international standards. In 2020, the Higher Committee for the Implementation of the Management Plan for the Ahwar of Southern Iraq as a World Heritage Property (Higher Committee), took a decision obligating oil companies not to undertake any development or investment in oil industries without coordination with the Higher Committee, not to carry out oil exploration activities within the boundaries of the property, and that any oil activities outside the property should not cause harm to the property;
• Measures to address illegal activities include reducing overfishing through the preparation of a law, monitoring fishing activities and raising awareness of biodiversity impacts, convicting traffickers, and compliance and enforcement measures by environmental police and rapid response forces;
• The preparation of an updated Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the entire property and updated Management Plans for each component remains underway, but hindered by prevailing conditions in Iraq. In 2020, updated topographical surveys of several natural components were completed;
• The Higher Committee is working with ministries and authorities to address tourism activities. Tourism projects were established within the natural components, a visitor centre will be established, and a comprehensive tourism management plan was planned for 2020. Thirteen projects are proposed inside the property including villages, waste water, tourism, handicrafts and legal revisions. No measures were undertaken in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Local communities continue to be engaged through the Water Users Association and sub-committees;
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed on movement, and lack of monitoring, littering became in excess in two areas; this was since addressed by authorities.

On 7 May 2021, the World Heritage Centre transmitted a letter to the State Party regarding third-party information received in 2020 and 2021 concerning: dam projects that are planned or already under construction, including Makhool Dam, which could further exacerbate water scarcity; concerns regarding oil development in the vicinity of the Hawiza Marsh; and the reported pollution of the marshes by sewerage pipe discharge.

On 12 May 2021, the World Heritage Centre received two notes from Turkey. The first note provides information and clarification regarding the cooperation between Turkey and Iraq on water issues, and efforts undertaken to improve transboundary water management during 2018-2020. This includes a proposal for a Turkey-Iraq Action Plan for Cooperation in the Field of Water, which covers joint water projects, including the establishment of the aforementioned Joint Water Research Centre in Iraq. The second note on the Mesopotamian Marshlands provides an overview of the alterations of Mesopotamian Marshlands over time as a result of human induced changes in the Euphrates and Tigris basin and drainage activities, and documents the complexity of the problem of sustaining the marshes which have been transformed into a semi-constructed wetland and lost their natural structure. The note stresses the need for a scientific approach to ensure the protection of fragmented marshlands.

It is regrettable that prevailing security conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic have limited progress in several key activities related to the management of the property.

The Committee was already concerned at the time of inscription over the need to conserve the vulnerable archaeological remains, and the situation has been exacerbated by the recent halt of conservation and maintenance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the three cultural components, there is an urgent need to complete site surveys and develop conservation plans, while resuming maintenance as soon as possible. Priority must be given to urgent conservation work, before further excavations are undertaken and tourism is encouraged.

Following drought in 2017-2018, it is positive that in 2019 flooding and rainfall events led to the minimum water flow requirements for the natural components being exceeded, with positive environmental outcomes. However, it is concerning that minimum flow requirements were again not met in 2020. The State Party of Iraq’s concerns regarding negative impacts of the construction of the ‘Al Jazeera’ dam in Turkey on the quality and quantity of Iraq’s water shares within the Tigris river are noted, as are third party reports indicating that several dam projects are being planned or are already under construction in Iraq and neighbouring countries which could further exacerbate water scarcity. The information provided by the State Party of Turkey, which clearly demonstrates the complexity of the conservation of the remnant marshes in the context of the different water abstractions in the Tigris and Euphrates basin, is also acknowledged. It is important to stress that the water shortages are likely to be exacerbated in the future as a result of climate change. It is recommended that the State Party be requested to provide information on all dam developments upstream of the property, specifically an assessment of the potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and that no project is undertaken that could negatively impact the OUV. Recalling the 2016 IUCN Evaluation mission conclusion that significant fluctuations in water flows pose a major threat to the property in the longer term, and Decision 42 COM 7B.66, that the non-fulfilment of minimum water requirements could represent a potential danger to the OUV, it remains crucial that the State Party of Iraq secures effective management measures to ensure the adequate and long-term water supply to the property. It is clear that the long term conservation of the marshes can only be achieved through greater transboundary cooperation for water management which is informed by science and identifies how to achieve the minimum water requirements for the property, while ensuring an adequate and equitable water availability to address the needs of the people living in the basin. lt is recommended that the Committee urge the States Parties of Iraq, of the Islamic Republic of Iran and of Turkey to strengthen and expedite their cooperation towards long-term sustainable water management measures that are informed by science and can guarantee the minimum flow needed to preserve the OUV of the property. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN are available to assist with this process. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN also consider that a basin-wide Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) would enable a comprehensive assessment of cumulative and future impact on flows to the Ahwar.

The development of a draft law that provides protection for the natural components of the property is a positive development. Since components continue to lack formal legal protection, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to complete the designation of all natural components of the property as protected areas. Whilst the confirmation of measures to address illegal activities and a reported reduction in overfishing are appreciated, the extent to which these are impacting the OUV of the property remains unclear since no precise data have been provided. The reported actions to address littering and awareness raising are welcome.

The completion of the IMP for the entire property, which should incorporate a regular monitoring programme of values and attributes, as well as threats and how these impact OUV, remains a high priority. This should over-arch updated management plans for individual components and the proposed tourism plan. A draft of the IMP should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

While the planned initiation of a comprehensive tourism plan for the property is welcomed, it is reiterated that the plan should cover both cultural and natural components, regulate visitation, ensure visitor safety, and cover sustainable tourism practices and infrastructure. Noting the establishment of several tourism projects, it is recommended that the tourism plan is finalised as a matter of priority to ensure a strategic approach to infrastructure development within the property, including tourism accommodation. Specifically regarding the proposal for a 2.5 ha-hotel and ecotourism complex within the marshes including an amusement park, sporting fields and other infrastructure for a capacity of 300 people, it is important that an impact assessment is completed to assess the potential impacts of the proposed project on the OUV of the property in line with the IUCN Advice Note on Environmental Assessments and the ICOMOS Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties, before any decision is taken to proceed. A draft of the tourism plan should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, as well as any new construction proposals before these are implemented.

Recalling significant concerns regarding the continued vulnerability of the property to oil and gas developments, the confirmation in 2020 that oil companies are obligated to not carry out oil exploration activities within the boundaries of the property and to ensure that any activities outside the property do not harm the property, is positive. This commitment should be permanent and extended to all extractive activities including gas. Noting that the potential for exploration activities in the vicinity of the property remains, and third party concerns regarding the pollution of rivers feeding into the Hawiza Marsh, it is important that any potential impact of such activities on the OUV are appropriately assessed in line with the IUCN Advice Note and the ICOMOS Guidance prior to any approvals being issued, and that any activities that negatively impact the OUV are avoided.

The engagement of local communities should be further strengthened to ensure meaningful engagement in a range of site management areas, including water usage and rights-based approaches to protecting the OUV of the property.

The joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property should be undertaken as soon as conditions allow.