Water wars in the marshlands of southern Iraq

The World

The Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers merge, used to be one of the most fertile areas in the country. Today, they are fast disappearing. This is due to a series of issues including war, climate change and dam projects in Syria, Turkey and Iran. Bel Trew is the Middle East and North Africa correspondent for The Independent in the UK, and she recently visited the marshlands. She speaks with host Marco Werman about what she saw and how farmers are dealing with this water crisis.

Will you support The World?

The story you just read is accessible and free to all because our listener community contributes to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciate our coverage, if there has been a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work? All donations between now and June 30 will be matched 2:1, tripling your impact.