Iraq's Dying Rivers | Al Jazeera World Documentary

For thousands of years, two famous rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, made Iraq one of the most fertile regions in the Middle East.
Often called 'the cradle of civilisation', the first urban settlements grew up on the lands between the two ancient waterways. But today, things are dramatically different, - for the rivers and the people who depend on them.
Iraq's ancient rivers and water resources have been seriously damaged by wars, economic sanctions, the construction of upstream dams, pollution and a fall in water levels.
The Tigris and Euphrates meet in Basra province, in the south of Iraq, where they form the Shatt al-Arab waterway. Tens of thousands of Iraqis live in marshes, like Abu Haider and his wife who rely almost entirely on fishing to survive.
The displacement of over 200,000 Marsh Arabs by former President Saddam Hussein's government and the campaign of violence against them, led the international community to condemn it as ethnic cleansing.
The United Nations has described the draining of the marshes as a "tragic human and environmental catastrophe" on a par with the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
In September 2018, Iraq's ministry of water resources said the levels and rivers like the Tigris in Baghdad have dropped up to 40 percent in the last 20 years. Partly to blame are dams and reservoirs being built in Turkey to the north that has restricted the flow of water southwards, causing a shrinkage in farmland each year.
The Shatt al-Arab waterway flows into the Persian Gulf. Increasing pollution and low fish stocks have forced Iraqi fishermen to risk forays into Iranian and Kuwaiti waters.
The wrestle for control of the Shatt al-Arab waterway was one of the causes of the long, costly and bitter war between Iraq and Iran throughout most of the 1980s. That border dispute is still not settled. Kuwait and Iraq have also yet to agree on a sea border in negotiations which have been going on since Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Many fishermen at the docks say Iraqis are viewed with hostility by Iranians and Kuwaitis who are still bitter over their conflicts with Iraq in the 1980s and 90s.
Today's crisis means that Iraq, once so abundant in water resources, now imports 60 percent of its fish. But above all, it threatens the roots of Iraq's identity as the land between the two ancient rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, on which the country and its people have depended for thousands of years.
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[@airishviscara2326]

Tigris and Euphrates I learned that on history. I never thought I can retrieve that info until now😄😁

[@hiwhowhatareyoudoinghereme1974]

An interesting look into the environmental issues and politics of Iraq, ‏شكرا

[@derekmoore2779]

To much money spent on military and not on fish hatchery

[@derekmoore2779]

Need water treatment plants

[@nazmulgani3776]

Prophet Muhammad pbuh said, " The hour will not begin until the Euphrates dries up to unveil the mountain of gold for which people will fight. 99 out of every hundred will die in the fighting. "

[@tarltonjohns6806]

What I learned from this video is that the Dying Rivers of Iraq is that people used to be fishing and recycling things in the dying rivers and they wanted to make money for their family by helping people to go fishing and helping the environment preventing from the disasters of the dying rivers.

[@GreenJumper]

After the floods the water will rise tremendously

[@carlamarocci3899]

"Lê vê yekê bizanibin: di rojên dawîn de, demên dijwar wê werin, Çimkî mirov wê bibin hezkiriyên xwe, çavnebar, pesnê xwe, pozbilind, çêrker, guh nede dê û bavên xwe, nankor, nepîroz, bêhez, efûkar, buxtankar, bêxwedî, zalim, xêrxwazan, xayin, serêş, dilbirîn, ji hezkirên Xwedê bêtir ji kêfê hez dikin, şeklê xwedawendiyê heye, lê hêza wê înkar dike. Ji van jî birevin." 2 Tîmotêyo 3:1-5

[@robstubeeats7709]

When you’re too corrupt to even fix your water. All that money going missing is no surprise

[@texasray5237]

Don't worry, the money isn't really missing, it always reappears in the pockets of corrupt government officials.

[@alialidrissi4163]

no all rivers in Iraq are flooded lol

[@SuperPromethee]

US to iraqis: 'I liberated you from the tyrant. Now you have to manage yourselves.'

[@afiqnor1695]

But they cant manage themself without the tyrant

[@quadrim.a.2816]

Go on enjoying life my dear Abu Hyider ; all have re -emerge as earlier by the grace of yourself and Exalted Allah zsh . Karam Bandon ka zindabad Karame Khuda e Dost hai yahi Karam e Gaus e Azam hai yahi sambhale Sambhala na jayega

[@quadrim.a.2816]

Riparism has almost finished or weakened to drastic labels . Resource may be wasted but not allowed to use by neighbouring country. Neighbourhood is not at all consulted while planning the resources. Resources are not pooled and utilised. Mekong River commission is good example of pooling of resources and equitable distribution for multiuser s.

[@i8nm3gp]

The abbatoirs should be dumping all its waste in the rivers. It will stink but the rivers will be fertile with fish. The euphrates hasn't dried up yet.

[@nizamdove8523]

Imam Mahdi will coming soon.inshaallah

[@yousifalhadithi1964]

one small example is that the medical city complex in Baghdad is throwing all there poisonous trash and waste into the Tigris

[@ritatisiga4717]

Rivers keep clean . Rivers are put there by our Creator . Mighty is our Creator . Yes he understand . Pray for its raining . Clean . You and you alone have lived for Century on your beautiful land . Yes you understand it better then other people who only come to work . Water is very important in the Middleeast . Hope and prayers and knowledge of sharing amounts yourselves to enjoy your Country you were born too . Hugs and prayers i sent you and Creator be with you all .

[@JESUSCHRISTOVERbaal712]

The song said: We're is our walking brother who was with us he walked away and deserted us, WELL JESUS HASNT WALKED AWAY FROM YALL ,HE DIED FOR YOU SINS TO AND HE LOVES YOU, YAHWEH, HAS NOT DESERTED YALL SEEK JESUS CHRIST AND GE WILL SHOW YOU HE IS THERE FOR YOU

[@Charlie-502]

So sad

[@afreedafreedmohammad394]

Glory to allah, all praise to him,glory to allah allah is greatest

[@bobbieleland7687]

God speaks of this in bible

[@JESUSCHRISTOVERbaal712]

قالت الأغنية: نحن أخونا السائر الذي كان معنا مشى وهجرنا ، حسنًا ، لقد سار يسوع بعيدًا عنك ، لقد مات لأجلك من الخطايا ويحبك ، يهوى ، لم يصرخ اطلب من يسوع المسيح وجنرال الكتريك أن يظهر لك أنه هناك من أجلك

[@quadrim.a.2816]

Riparian laws may please not to be overlooked by friendly Countries - Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq . Be freindly and enjoy each others plateforms answerable to Exalted Allah zsh .

[@abooswalehmosafeer173]

Allah and his Whole Dominions. "And which of the Favours of Thy Lord would you deny." None, Yallah,All Praises are due unto you,and you alone,the Lord of the Worlds,its visible as well as its invisible.

[@roberttownson4776]

Since we're talking about forgotten Iraqis What ever happened to the black ones??? They were already marginalized people. What is their fate after ISIS? Did they even survive???

[@zulfi8445]

@@endribardhyli1340 no. The black people were enslaving other tribes in africa then they sell them to the arabs.

[@zulfi8445]

Black people are very rare in iraq and mostly exist in southern iraq which is safe and away from isis

[@endribardhyli1340]

@@zulfi8445 Very true but the Arabs were the market for the slave trade up until the 1960s. They were the ones that nurtured it and developed it. A point never mentioned by most people. And the horrible method of castration is also overlooked

[@roberttownson4776]

Sen Sai ???? And sheep are meat I'm you lol

[@roberttownson4776]

Endri Bardhyli Once you point out Arab $uckery, they like to deflect into black on black etc. Don't feed into that bro, and say on topic. Don't let them change the narrative. Friendly advice✊ Look at these dudes pictures (avi) They're not about $#*%😂😂😂

[@mirvasuutarila5839]

Population overgrowth

[@assyrianmf]

Not really

[@assyrianmf]

More then 5 mil killed by dictators, invention,Isis, Iran

[@aliroshanbin3655]

I wonder although I have sent you an e-mail regarding mispronouncing the Persian Gulf, you keep saying the wrong name! Try to be a honest unbaised broadcaster...

[@derekmoore2779]

Time to put in fish hatchery

[@GEMINDIGO]

That little boy fisherman should wear a life jacket so he doesn't drown.What sort of health and safety laws do you have in Iraq?

[@wizzard9531]

somebody's been living under a cave I see

[@MarA-te5jc]

God protects you can’t understand

[@spectre9957]

I've been to Iraq and Kuwait. I would rather live on the streets in America than ever go back to Iraq. Of the 38 countries I have visited, it is the most desolate and depressing place I have ever been. 0/10 Would not recommend.

[@kyngkraken8695]

Is that man really standing on the net on the back of the boat with no life vest ?

[@samulsamuelson7069]

Iraq is the colony of Iran

[@Metaphix]

Kind of worried for the Sunnis that are left there, i'd probably go to Suadi Arabia if i were them.

[@BobiR-bl9fc]

Instead of attack to others , Force your government to make investment on Recycling industries and even you can take help from USA and Germany

[@martin4625]

Don't make me laugh dude Iraq raped u off in Iraq-Iran war...

[@aliroshanbin3655]

If Iraq is destroyed or unsafe, Iran will be the same. We have the same histroy, religion and culture. We are neighbour.💪🏽🤝🏽

[@texasray5237]

Iraq is the product of the US.

[@twistedhypnotism]

Toilet paper money

[@hayderie]

١٩:٣٩ أخخ أخخ هذه لقه اخو؟ خطيه

[@bunnylady6758]

Revelation 16:12 in the making😅