Southern Iraq Used to Look Like This

Marsh in southern Iraq southeast of Nasiriyah.
Click photo to enlarge

Mike P. wrote from back in Concord that he'd read a book about the Marsh People in southern Iraq written by an anthropologist in the 50's or 60's. At that time, this was the only place on the planet where people lived on floating villages made of woven reed mats. There is talk about restoring the marshes here, but the scope of that project is staggering. This is the first "intact" marsh I've seen of any size since my arrival in Iraq almost two months ago. I am literally at the end of the road that dead-ends at the edge of this place. Saddam's marsh draining projects have made a moonscape of the lands in this region, crisscrossed by drainage canals. His goal apparently was to displace the marsh people and in that he was thoroughly successful. Only salt tolerant species can survive in the salty soil. Once drained, salt precipitates on the surface like snow.

The boat in the foreground is poled while standing like a gondola, or paddled with a spoon-shaped paddle. The fishermen we saw have small seine nets, but I didn't see what they were catching. I know there are lots of small fish here because of all the Pied Kingfishers.