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 30 January 2024, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1481/documents/, and which reports the following progress:

• At the archaeological site of Uruk, and in the framework of the research and conservation programme of the German Archaeological Institute, conservation work was carried out at the White Temple, the northwestern side of Anu Ziggurat, as well as the western corner of Eanna Ziggurat. A trench was excavated to the northeast of the Stone Building, confirming that water drainage pipes can be inserted there with no impact on the archaeology;
• Facilities to enhance visitor access and visitation have been installed, and the training programme focusing on the conservation of archaeological and historical architecture has continued;
• An area providing shelter and information panels for tourists next to the expedition house at Uruk was prepared by raising an earth layer which will protect the archaeological layers. Existing dams were repaired for use as visitor pathways;
• A proposal for the Management and Conservation of the archaeological sites of Ur and Tell Eridu is annexed to the report. It outlines activities for the implementation of conservation measures at Ur, in addition to the design of new visitor facilities and interpretation. For Tell Eridu, the proposal addresses enhancing site protection, survey and assessments, conservation planning, and planning of essential infrastructure and facilities;
• Water scarcity has continued for the fourth consecutive year as a result of negative impacts from dams, and the implementation of irrigation projects by upstream countries. The strategic study of water and lands (i.e. the roadmap for water consuming sectors) is being updated to include climate change and increasing water demands, and will consider development variables in upstream countries on water resources in Iraq. The resulting strategy for managing flood and drought would ensure integrated management of water resources for all sectors and mitigate negative effects on the natural components. Several mitigation measures have been undertaken;
• Research efforts continue, including to prepare various studies on the natural components, a special session at the Third Baghdad International Water Conference (May 2023), and on the biodiversity of the marshes;
• A drought study, which includes socio-economic impacts on local residents and a monitoring model for the natural components, is being completed with funding from World Food Programme (WFP). Regarding the requested Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) at the basin-wide level, the State Party welcomes the World Heritage Committee to invite the riparian countries (Türkiye, Islamic Republic of Iran and Syrian Arab Republic) to undertake the evaluation with Iraq;
• Efforts to engage in dialogue with upstream countries on joint technical cooperation for transboundary water management, are continued. In 2023, meetings were held with Türkiye, including the first joint permanent committee meeting, and an agreement from Türkiye to supply Iraq with the required water needs for the next summer. Various other engagement with riparian states is reported, however timeframes are unclear;
• The State Party affirms its commitment to assess impacts of large projects on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context. In this regard, the Makhul Dam project was stopped due to potential impacts affecting World Heritage properties. It is noted that comprehensive information on current and future developments in upstream countries that may impact the property is required, however, it has not been provided to the State Party;
• The State Party reiterates its commitment to ensuring legal protection for the natural components under the national legal framework, which enables the authorities to take legal measures against violators. The Wildlife Protection Law is being amended to ensure broader protection of the property including regarding hunting licenses and regulations. UNESCO will be informed when this is completed;
• Efforts to reduce overfishing and address hunting and poaching are continued, including to monitor fishing activities, raising awareness among local residents, legal prosecution of poaching cases, and discussions on a permanent ban of hunting in the hunting areas within the property;
• The State Party asserts its commitment to ensuring that no oil activity or exploration is carried out that may cause damage to the property and is implementing the requirement for oil companies to not undertake such activities within the property, to not undertake oil activities outside the property without coordination with the National Committee, and to not cause damage to the property. Monitoring of oil companies that have been obliged to submit Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for projects outside the property continues and there has been no case in the last year that would impact the OUV.  The State Party will provide a full response in an official letter;
• The process for the preparation of an updated Integrated Management Plan (IMP) and individual management plans for the components of the property has been initiated with technical support from the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH);
• Monitoring includes bimonthly monitoring of water discharge into and out of the natural components, water quality, and the impact on biodiversity, as well as monthly monitoring of flooded areas and vegetation cover. The purification of feeder rivers and the maintenance of dykes and regulators have continued;
• Regarding the development of a comprehensive Tourism Management Plan, visitor routes are being identified and a plan is being developed to organise tourism within the natural components, and tourism activities are organised in the property. Draft instructions for the regulation for ecotourism in the natural components have been submitted to the Ministry of Environment for review and revision. Workshops are being organized regarding unsustainable use of natural resources by tourism and the need to safeguard OUV;
• The tourism project in Chabayish city is located in the buffer zone and has been assessed to have no impact on the OUV;
• Several activities of the project ‘Human Resilience and Biodiversity in the Mesopotamian Marshes’ (inaugurated in 2023) are being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, focusing on ecosystems and indigenous people in the marshes, including climate change adaptation, biodiversity protection, women’s rights, sustainable livelihoods and habitat restoration.

On 28 March 2024, the World Heritage Centre received a report from the State Party of Türkiye on the ‘Iraqi Marshlands’, which provides an overview of alterations of the Marshlands in recent history, the current situation, wetland dynamics and water resources of the Euphrates-Tigris basin, impact of climate change, dams and reservoirs in Türkiye and Iraq, and water cooperation efforts.

The joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property from 2 to 8 March 2024. At the time of drafting this report, the mission report is being finalized and will be available at the above- mentioned link. Its findings and recommendations will be presented to the 47th session of the Committee.

The progress in implementing conservation work at the archaeological site of Uruk, in addition to enhancement of visitor accessibility and site presentation are all positive steps, particularly as they have been implemented in conjunction with capacity building activities. The submitted proposal for planning for protection and conservation interventions at Ur and Tell Eridu, is also positive. The State Party is to be encouraged to pursue such activities, with the opportunity to replicate the approaches and methodologies undertaken at Uruk, in particular, with the emphasis on long-term conservation, rather than new excavation. It is also encouraged to continue to plan for visitor services in a way that is compatible with OUV and as part of an overall and proactive strategy of tourism management.

It is highly concerning that water continues to remain scarce for a fourth consecutive year. The various reported actions to mitigate the impact of water scarcity, as well as the ongoing process to update the strategic study for water and lands, the drought study, and the continued transboundary cooperation with bordering States Parties, are noted with appreciation. It is however important to ensure that any proposed mitigation measures, such as the reported concrete canvas lining of irrigation canals, do not negatively impact the marshes. Given the ongoing water scarcity, it is positive that the updated study for water and lands intends to provide a strategy that would ensure an integrated management approach of water resources across all sectors, including the allocation of water requirements to the marshes, as well as to mitigate negative effects on the marsh components. The study is an opportunity to comprehensively analyse hydrology, water requirements and water management, and to inform suitable measures needed for achieving sustainable adequate water flows that ensure the protection of the OUV of the property.

Recalling the previously reported concerns regarding potential impacts of upstream dam developments on the OUV of the property, it is appreciated that the Makhul dam, which could have impacted the OUV of the property, was halted. Noting that the State Party has continued to express its concern regarding potential impacts of projects in countries upstream of the property, that no information on development projects has been provided, further consideration of the wider basin hydrology, water requirements, and development pressures would help to inform strategic planning and management decisions that ensure the protection of the OUV. The requested basin-wide SEA therefore remains important for establishing a comprehensive scientific basis for long term water management. Noting that the aforementioned study for water and lands also includes an assessment of upstream developments, the findings of the study should also inform the requested SEA. It is reiterated that all concerned parties should ensure that activities upstream of the property have no negative impact on its OUV. Hence, the continued constructive technical cooperation with neighbouring States Parties is essential.

The State Party’s commitment to ensure legal protection for the marsh components and its efforts to reduce over-fishing and prohibit poaching, are noted with appreciation. An update on the amendments to the Wildlife Protection Law and how these ensure the effective protection of the property should be provided in its next report, and it is recommended that the State Party continues monitoring, and strengthens legal protection, enforcement and management capacity to control illegal activities.

Recalling concerns about the vulnerability of the property to oil and gas developments, the State Party’s continued commitment to ensure that oil activities outside the property do not damage the property, as well as the confirmation that EIAs are required and there has been no negative impact in the last year, are appreciated. It is recommended to reiterate the request for the State Party to ensure that all proposed extractive projects are fully assessed for their potential impacts on OUV, in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, prior to any decisions to proceed, and to ensure that negative impacts are avoided. Noting that the State Party will provide a full response on this matter in an official letter, it is important to highlight again the requested overview of oil and gas developments in the vicinity of the property, including the assessment of potential impacts on the OUV in line with the aforementioned Guidance. The State Party should also be urged again to make a permanent commitment to ban all extractive industries (oil and gas) within the property. The reported monitoring of existing oil activities adjacent to the property should be continued and any negative impacts immediately addressed.

Acknowledging that the preparation of an updated IMP is underway, it is recommended to finalise this process, as well as the individual management plans for individual components, as a matter of priority.

Whilst the various actions undertaken to regulate ecotourism in the property are acknowledged, a more strategic and structured approach to tourism planning, including the implementation of an overall tourism plan for the whole property to regulate visitation, and to ensure sustainable tourism practices, infrastructure and facilities, remains essential. Noting that the State Party reported that the tourism project in Chabayish city is situated in the buffer zone of the property and that the related EIA concluded that the project does not impact the OUV, and recalling that the Committee had requested a revision of the EIA, the State Party should provide an update on the status of the project. The reported engagement of local communities in management processes, educational, and awareness raising activities is welcomed and is to be further encouraged.

The conclusions and recommendations of the recent joint Reactive Monitoring mission to the property on the above matters will be presented to the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.