Marshes Of Iraq Research Articles

-

Al-Dalmaj marsh is one of the most important marshes in Iraq; it extends from Al-Qadisiyah Province in the west to Wasit Province in the east, south of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In order to study the malacological diversity of this site, a survey of the marsh molluscs species was made during this study. About 177 specimens were collected, seven species of gastropods belonging to six families and two species of Bivalves belonging to one family were identified, remarks on the nomenclature, taxonomy and distribution of these species. According to this study Al-Dalmaj Marsh includes diverse molluscs species and the presented results will provide important information for future studies concerned with the molluscs or Invertebrates biodiversity state of this important ecosystem in Iraq.

Conflicts & Immigration Impacts on Built Environment: A Case Study of Arab Marshes in Iraq

Conflicts & Immigration Impacts on Built Environment: A Case Study of Arab Marshes in Iraq

Description and Overview of the Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The current study gives information about the Taxonomy, morphology, and migration routes of the Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus which is one of the most common raptors in Iraq's southern Mesopotamian marshlands. This review presented several topics related to the monitoring migration of this bird, Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus, its classification where it belongs to the order of Accipitriformes and the family of Accipitridae. It has been considered a native breeding resident in Iraq marshes ( specially south area ) and maybe in the wetlands part of middle Iraq , also it has been considered a migrant visiting Iraq in winter. It was once widespread in the Euphrates wetlands, and It bred in Hammar Lake and the marshes nearby Basra. The description of the bird, is a huge, hefty harrier with rather broad wings, larger than other European harriers. The male's feathers is mysterious reddishbrown and brighter golden streaks seen especially over the breast. A majority of the area around the shoulders and the head have a mild greyish-yellowish color. The rectrices, secondary and tertiary remiges are all absolute grey, contrasting with a brown color in the forewing and the black main remiges on their wingtips. About the female is nearly totally chocolatey brown. The upper parts of the head, throat, and the shoulders have a markedly brighter yellowish tone; These could be sharply delineated with quite contrasting. There are two major known migratory raptor routes in the western Palearctic, the first one is flyway from West African , Eurasian- to East African (named western of Black Sea), that connects northern Europe with western Siberia to Middle East which ends in the sub-Saharan Africa ,the second flyway from Western European- to the West African ( the Atlantic) , which raptors use.

ابعاد اعتبار اهوار العراق محمية دولية

The research is in the international dimensions of considering the marshes of Iraq an international protectorate. It is summarized in finding answers to a set of questions that are embodied in the nature of the Iraqi marshes as an international reserve on the one hand, and what distinguishes the international reserve from other legal systems. Finally the dimensions that result from considering it an international reserve within the World Heritage List. There are those who say that the term international protection appeared in the modern era, which requires a statement of the legislative basis for regulating protection for this internationally important phenomenon on the one hand; And nationally, through the statement of the legislative basis at the internal level in Iraq on the other hand, and then a statement of the conditions that must be met in the selection of the water body on the third hand. Where protection exists means preserving the existing by resorting to legitimate methods The protection of water bodies is not only a necessary condition for protecting the environment, but it is one of the basic keys to food security and all types of collective security such as health, economic and social or human development in general. We have decided in this research to show the importance that the Iraqi Marshes enjoy historically, nationally and internationally, which constituted a certain fact that imposes itself and strongly because it is considered an international protectorate, then logically that it entails international dimensions on the one hand and governmental and international obligations alike on the other hand, for this important international consideration that was not It comes out of nowhere. The marshes of Iraq have been lofty and ancient since the dawn of the first civilizations. Finally, the end did not end with the study of these dimensions; Rather, we are certain that there are certain challenges faced by the marshes in Iraq, which made us discuss them as well, and God bless.

Environmental Influences on the Settlements Patterns of Communities in the Marshes of Iraq

In the field of residential community planning, one of the appropriate places to study the mutual influences between man and the environment, away from the influences, concepts and mechanisms of contemporary planning theories are isolated environments in rural areas, and the marshlands in Iraq represent one of these models. These areas still retain the planning patterns of residential communities for thousands of years. This research attempts to conduct a descriptive study of traditional settlement patterns, which relied on the capabilities of the surrounding areas to provide planning and architectural solutions based on the environmental factor. Establishing such a clear framework for these impacts can help in any future interventions or development processes in the region and ensure that any random or irregular interventions that may have occurred previously are not repeated. Which will preserve the components and sustainability of this ecosystem and maintain the harmony and integration between the elements of the architectural environment and the natural elements.

Eden in Iraq: a wastewater design project as bio-art—a confluence of nature and culture, design and ecology, in Southern Iraq marshes

Eden in Iraq: a wastewater design project as bio-art—a confluence of nature and culture, design and ecology, in Southern Iraq marshes

Land cover reflectance of Iraqi marshlands based on visible spectral multiband of satellite imagery

The Iraqi marshlands in Mesopotamia are considered a major landmark of world heritage and a main feeding and rest destination for bird breeding. The marshes of Iraq have been subjected to intentional desiccation and desertification several times. Detecting the water content of major Iraqi marshlands is the main scope of this study. Satellite imagery can be employed to assemble the data required for water, vegetation and dry area evaluation in marshlands. The assessment was performed using the adaptive technology of supervised classification that depends on the shade of each object’s colour. Several types of Landsat satellite, MSS, TM, ETM+ and OLI/TIRS and 64 satellite images were used to fulfil the objective. Results show that the classification of visual variations is the most suitable economical approach to detecting various environmental changes amongst the common methods. The 48 years in the marshes of Iraq (1972–2020) can be represented in two main stages. The increasing tendency in the second stage is nearly double the decreasing tendency in the first stage. The surface area in the first stage deteriorated dramatically until it reached the lowest level of approximately 432 ​km2 in 2000 due to water encroachment and desiccation. Then, the area started to increase over time to approximately 4335 ​km2 in the second stage towards the year 2020, except for sudden declines in 2015 and 2018. The average water surface for the first and second stages were 1877 and 2012 ​km2, respectively.

SOUTH IRAQ MARSHES MONITORING USING SATELLITE IMAGES AND REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS

The marshes of Iraq are vital and rich in livestock such as fish and plants such as reeds and papyrus in addition to water resources. This research provides important study and monitoring of this vital and important area, It plays an important role to improve the economic, social, biodiversity status in the country. These marshes lie in a large bounded triangular region by three major southern cities: Nasiriyah to the west, Amarah to the northeast, and Basrah to the south. The study was done by collecting several Landsat satellite imageries, for different time periods such as the seventies (MSS- 1973) and the nineties (TM-1993) and the era of fifties Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) (2015). A digital image classification method such as a minimum distance measurement was used. And Principle component analysis (PCA) transformation was employ to perform change detection by compute the first and second maximum variance of each band for each image and find the change between them

The International Legal Status of Marshes of Iraq as Protected Natural Areas

The wetlands of the Republic of Iraq, being a natural area of protection, have unique environmental, historical and cultural characteristics and are significantly different from the existing wetlands of the world. However, despite this status, they are exposed to numerous negative influences. The authors point to the most important international legal instruments aimed at preserving this unique territory of the Republic of Iraq, namely, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Government of Iraq is committed to fulfilling international obligations related to this convention and to overcoming the obstacles encountered in their implementation. The authors have examined the main international commitments, obstacles and the main priority lines developed by the Government of Iraq in order to overcome these obstacles. In particular, the problem of Water constraints has been considered in connection with the embankments built by the Islamic Republic of Iran, doing natural environment damage to the wetlands of Iraq and the attempts of the Government of Iraq to resolve the current situation, including the involvement of the Ramsar advisory mission. The mission was organized in mid-2017. The authors also provide relevant recommendations aimed at enhancing cooperation between Iraq and neighboring (coastal) states, and contributing to the reasonable and equitable use of a shared watercourse using the 1997 UN Convention on International Watercourses. The authors put high hopes on attracting international attention to the problems of relations between the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the use of the Hawizeh marshes site.

Eden Again: Hope in the Marshes of Iraq

Eden Again: Hope in the Marshes of Iraq

Change Detection and Impact of Climate Changes to Iraqi Southern Marshes Using Landsat 2 MSS, Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2 MSI Data and GIS Applications

Marshes represent a unique ecosystem covering a large area of southern Iraq. In a major environmental disaster, the marshes of Iraq were drained, especially during the 1990s. Since then, droughts and the decrease in water imports from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from Turkey and Iran have prevented them from regaining their former extent. The aim of this research is to extract the values of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for the period 1977–2017 from Landsat 2 MSS (multispectral scanner), Landsat 8 OLI (operational land imager) and Sentinel 2 MSI (multi-spectral imaging mission) satellite images and use supervised classification to quantify land and water cover change. The results from the two satellites (Landsat 2 and Landsat 8) are compared with Sentinel 2 to determine the best tool for detecting changes in land and water cover. We also assess the potential impacts of climate change through the study of the annual average maximum temperature and precipitation in different areas in the marshes for the period 1981–2016. The NDVI analysis and image classification showed the degradation of vegetation and water bodies in the marshes, as vast areas of natural vegetation and agricultural lands disappeared and were replaced with barren areas. The marshes were influenced by climatic change, including rising temperature and the diminishing amount of precipitation during 1981–2016.

Eden Again: Hope in the Marshes of Iraq

Every once in a while this reviewer discovers a book that peaks one’s curiosity, addresses wetland restoration, is not a wetland science book per se but incorporates human wetland lifestyle dependency. Examples of such would include those catching crayfish the Atchafalaya in Louisiana or those fishing on the Georgia coastal wetlands. This reviewer has long been intrigued with human ecology, and the roles of nongovernment organizations in wetland management (Smardon 2009). Suzanne Alwash’s book Eden Again: Hope in the Marshes of Iraq is such a book. This book reveals the history of the Southern Iraq wetlands fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from ancient times to about 2012.

Effect of Construction Overflow Weir Across Euphrates River in the Chibayish Marshes Region

Developing integrated marches management for restoration of the southern marshes in Iraq require adequate reliable plan. The aim of this study is developing the Chibayish region. In this study, economic feasibility and cost analysis for constructing embankment across Euphrates River and overflow weir are conducted. These structures are used to regulate the Euphrates River during the flood season and the deficit period and improve the quality of water in central marshes. In addition, this feasibility study examines the effect of establishing the controlling regulator on increasing the area of cultivation of the Malha irrigation project and improving the livestock with fish capturing in the region. The economic analysis and feasibility calculations showed that the time of payback period is equal to 7 years after 3 years from the construction time and the rate of the benefit cost B/C is equal to one when the discount rate is equal to 22%. By these results we can consider the project to be economically feasible and can improve the income of local people at Chibayish Marshes region.

Change detection and building spatial geodatabase for Iraqi marshes

The Iraqi Marshlands has natural and economic potential through its environment rich in various forms of lives. This region has suffered numerous setbacks due to human and natural factors, especially in the last two decades of the last century, which led to significant environmental degradation. The purpose of this paper is to prepare spatial data for the area of the marshes in Iraq as a base (Hour-al Hoveizah and central marshes and Hammar). Also, the other aim is to produce a digital geodatabase for the marshes for the years 1973, 1986, 1999, 2006 and 2016 by using ArcGIS. The process of building geodatabase has been through done in three stages: the first stage is including data collection. The second stage will be by merging the satellite images covering the Iraqi marshes and add to images in order to get the image mosaic process. Also, a georeferencing of satellite images is to be done with all the traditional maps of the same area of the marsh. Finally, complete the full geodatabase for the area of interest by using ArcGIS as the in Cartography Design. The results of this research would be a geodatabase for the Iraqi marshes.

Investigation of surface area of lakes and marshes from satellite images by using remote sensing and geographic information system integration in Iraq

Water level and distribution is very essential in almost all life aspects. Natural and artificial lakes represent a large percentage of these water bodies in Iraq. In this research the changes in water levels are observed by calculating the areas of five different lakes in five different regions and two different marshes in two different regions of the country, in a period of 12 years (2001 - 2012), archived remotely sensed images were used to determine surface areas around lakes and marshes in Iraq for the chosen years . Level of the lakes corresponding to satellite determined surface areas were retrieved from remotely sensed data .These data were collected to give explanations on lake level and surface area fluctuations. It is important to determine these areas at different water levels to know areas which are being flooded in addition to the total area inundated .The behavior of hydrological regime of these lakes during the period was assessed using an integration of remote sensing and GIS techniques which found that the total surface area of the lakes had diminished and their water volumes reduced. The study further revealed that the levels of the lakes surfaces had lowered through these years.

Standard aerosol optical depth index and application in the Middle East countries

Middle East is one of the most aerosol subjected region of the world. The records of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from 2003 to 2016 inclusive are investigated standard aerosol optical depth index (SAODI) providing verbal and numerical interpretations about the AOD records at Syria-Iraq northern, west Iraq, Iraq marshes, Iran Ahwaz and Ilam regions in addition to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. AOD records at different countries have different probability distribution functions (PDF), and the criteria of the average AOD plus 1, 2, 3 and 4 times the standard deviation of AOD record methodology as available in the literature does not provide a common footing for AOD assessment. Application of innovative trend analysis of the aerosol records indicated that although trends have rather small slopes, but in the Marshes, Ahwaz and Ilam locations there are decreasing trends, whereas in other locations the trends have increasing tendency.

Standard aerosol optical depth index and application in the Middle East countries

Middle East is one of the most aerosol subjected region of the world. The records of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from 2003 to 2016 inclusive are investigated standard aerosol optical depth index (SAODI) providing verbal and numerical interpretations about the AOD records at Syria-Iraq northern, west Iraq, Iraq marshes, Iran Ahwaz and Ilam regions in addition to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. AOD records at different countries have different probability distribution functions (PDF), and the criteria of the average AOD plus 1, 2, 3 and 4 times the standard deviation of AOD record methodology as available in the literature does not provide a common footing for AOD assessment. Application of innovative trend analysis of the aerosol records indicated that although trends have rather small slopes, but in the Marshes, Ahwaz and Ilam locations there are decreasing trends, whereas in other locations the trends have increasing tendency.

Thirty-Eight New Records for Algal Species of Iraq’s Marshes

Mesopotamian marshes in Iraq occupy a vast network of wetland at southern region. This study contains the description of many algal species that were identified in the marshes of Iraq, and based on the study thirty-eights new records will be added to the Algal Flora list of Iraq. Samples were collected at (10) stations, situated on Hammar, Chebaish and Hawizeh marshes in Iraq in May 2014. Thirty-eight new records for algal species of marshes were determined. Among these algal species, there were 6 Chlorophyta, 7 Cyanophyta, 1 Chrysophyta, 15 Bacillariophyta, 7 Euglenophyta and 2 Pyrrophyta. The dominating of species depended on water salinity, pH, and electrical conductivity in addition to biomass of identified algae.

Day's Goby, <i>Acentrogobius dayi</i> Koumans, 1941 (Pisces: Gobiidae) in the Southern Marshes, Thiqar, Southwest Baghdad, Iraq

The Day’s goby, Acentrogobius dayi (one specimen) was obtained from a marsh near Al-Fuhud Village, south-west of Baghdad, Iraq. The presence of this species in the new habitat is considered a new record for Day’s goby in the southern marshes of Iraq. Possibilities for such presence were presented.

LANDSAT TM-8 DATA FOR RETRIEVING SALINITY IN AL-HUWAIZAH MARSH, SOUTH OF IRAQ

Mesopotamia marshlands constitute the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and western Eurasia. These marshlands are located at the confluence of Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq. Al-Huwaizah marsh is the biggest marsh in southern Iraq covered by an area (2400 Km2-3000 Km2) and depth (1.5 m-5 m). The construction dams by Turkey and Syrian for water storage as well as hydroelectric power generation along Tigris and Euphrates rivers, led to reduce and deteriorate water quality in Iraq's marshes. Salinity has become one of the major problems affecting crop production and food security in central and southern Iraq. The objective of this study to develop a new algorithm to retrieve salinity and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from optical remote sensing Landsat-8 (OLI/TIRS) data based on differential equations algorithms. The mathematical algorithms are linear, power and exponential algorithm. The integration between remote sensing techniques and geographic information system (GIS) to map hydrodynamic and the spatial variation of salinity distribution. There is a pressing need to quantify and map the spatial extent and distribution of the salinity in Al-Huwaizah marsh of southern Iraq during March-2013. The findings of this study proved that the integration between Landsat-8 data and GIS with salinity algorithms could provide a powerful tool for retrieving salinity in marshes zone.