FAO leads campaign to clean Hawizeh Marshes from plastic waste and pollution

In line with the World Water Week, and the "Water is Life" campaign, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq, in cooperation with the Iraqi government, local authorities and fishermen, launched a campaign to clean the Al-Hawizeh Marsh from plastic waste and pollution.

The campaign will last for 10 days to cover 3 main passages: Umm Al-Tous, Al-Zubair and Al-Husseji (Al-Doub). It is expected that the volume of waste that will be removed from Al-Huwaizah Marsh by the end of the campaign will be about 100 cubic meters of plastic waste.

“This initiative is vital to protecting water resources, wetlands and the riverine ecosystem, especially considering the severe water shortage, heat waves and drought that the marshes are exposed to, which are among the negative impact of climate change and water scarcity that this region in southern Iraq is witnessing,” said Dr. Salah El-Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq.

The marshes have recently witnessed severe heat waves, accompanied by a sudden shortage of water in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, causing severe negative impacts on the ecosystem, buffalo breeders, farmers and fishermen in the marshes.

El-Hajj Hassan stressed that FAO, in cooperation with its national and international partners and donors, is keen to continue working to address the negative impacts of climate change and water scarcity and to confront the challenges facing the marshes, calling on all stakeholders to unite in a spirit of cooperation and determination and to work diligently to protect the marshes, combat climate change, and ensure the well-being of present and future generations who depend on these invaluable resources. 

“The impacts of climate change are exacerbating water scarcity and challenging our ability to manage natural resources sustainably. Increasingly frequent and extreme weather events, droughts and floods are putting stress on our ecosystems, with negative consequences for agricultural production and food security,” said Dr. Abdulhakim Al-Waer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa.

“On this occasion, we reaffirm FAO’s commitment to making every possible effort to address the impacts of climate change on Iraq and the region” he added.

This initiative comes also within the context of the "Water is Life" campaign launched by the United Nations in Iraq recently in partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources to address the severe water crisis facing the nation. The year-long awareness campaign "Water is Life" aims to sensitize Iraqi citizens about the critical state of their water resources and foster a sense of responsibility to mitigate this crisis.

Through this campaign, significant progress can be made in water conservation and management, ensuring a sustainable and better future for all Iraqis.