Abstract
Early civilizations have inhabited areas with stable water resources that supported living needs and activities. The Mesopotamian marshes have experienced dramatic changes during the past five decades. The aim of this study is to observe, analyse and report the extent of changes in these marshes from 1972 to 2020. Data from various sources were acquired through Google Earth Engine (GEE) including climate variables, land cover, surface reflectance, and surface water occurrence collections. Additionally, streamflow data was also analysed. Methods were based on diagnostic analysis to monitor and evaluate the causes and results of the total environmental dynamism. Results show a clear wetlands dynamism over time, a decrease of incoming flow to the region due to the damming of upstream tributaries, and a significant loss in marshlands extent, even though no significant long-term change was observed in lumped rainfall from 1982, and even during periods where no meteorological drought had been recorded. Human interventions have disturbed the ecosystems, which is evident when studying water occurrence changes. These show that the diversion of rivers and the building of a new drainage system caused the migration and spatiotemporal changes of marshlands. Nonetheless, restoration plans (after 2003) and strong wet conditions (period 2018–2020) have helped to recover the ecosystems, these have not led the marshlands to regain their former extent. Further studies should pay more attention to the drainage network within the study area as well as the neighbouring regions and their impact on the streamflow that feeds the marshes.
Highlights
Most geological studies evince that the Earth was first shaped and stabilised about 4.5 billion years ago (Halverson et al 2009)
Anthropological literature shows that the first Homo sapiens only evolved on Earth just before 300,000 (Hamilton 2017; Brauer and Smith 2020)
This study aims to investigate temporal changes in the ancient Mesopotamian wetlands in southern Iraq since the 1970s, using satellite imagery
Summary
Most geological studies evince that the Earth was first shaped and stabilised about 4.5 billion years ago (Halverson et al 2009). The Earth has recently become liveable for the first life-species existence on earth, which have geologically been proven just after the Cretaceous ended ~ 65 million years ago (Purves et al 2013; Kolbert 2014). Until about 12,000 years ago (during the Neolithic Revolution) humans mainly lived as hunters and gatherers, usually in small communities like family groups (Lee et al 1999). About 6000 years later, their lifestyle started to change, and humans started gathering in larger communities, inhabiting the resources-rich riverine environments, and establishing a way of securing their survival by building the first civilizations The first four recognised civilizations were established in (1) Mesopotamia – ~6000 years ago (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers), (2) Egypt – ~5100 years ago (Nile River), (3) the Indus valley –
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