Managing Change in the Marshlands: Iraq’s Critical Challenge UNITED NATIONS WHITE PAPER Report of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq Published in 2011 by United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq © 2011United Nations All rights reserved. Cover and title image: Al-Hammar Marsh, © 2011 Casey Walther Coordinated by United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, this report is a joint effort of the seven agencies of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force: The above United Nations agencies are all members of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force, chaired by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq, in line with the United Nations’commitment to uphold human rights, reduce poverty, and support Iraq’s sustainable development. Through the integration of expertise within the United Nations Country Team and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, the United Nations is supporting the Government of Iraq to minimize and, where possible, reverse the impact of human water-related activities (diverting, polluting or wasting) that disrupt ecosystems and harm the natural environment. The restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands is a vital environmental and development priority. The desiccation of the Marshlands has all but destroyed a unique habitat of importance to the regional and global environment and causes further rural-urban migration. This report was created to support the debate on the future of the Marshlands and provide assistance to the Government in Iraq in the way forward to address the challenges in the Marshlands region. United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq http://iq.one.un.org/Water-in-Iraq Managing Change in the Marshlands: Iraq’s Critical Challenge This report has been prepared to provide the Government of Iraq and all those responsible for and involved in the management of the Iraqi Marshlands region with a summary and evaluation of the findings of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq on the sustainability of the area. Authors Casey Walther, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Christopher Maroshegyi, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Meghan Michael, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Marija Ignjatovic, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI); Jonathan Robinson, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI); Peter Rice, Interagency Analysis Unit (IAU); Alex Gryzbowski, United Nations Department for Political Affairs (DPA); Melanie Hutchinson, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Salam Abi-Samra, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Wael Al-Ashhab, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); Mohammed Hamasha, World Health Organization (WHO); Hrachya Sansyan, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Haile Gashaw (UNICEF); Rob Duys, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Extended Writing Team Sami Al-Saedi, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI); Kwang-Koo Choi, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI); Mona Chalabi, International Organization for Migration (IOM); Gurel Gurkan, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Beesyna Majid, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Mamdooh Mahdi, Interagency Analysis Unit (IAU) Review and Design Editors Arianne Dilts, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Aleen Karakashian, Interagency Analysis Unit (IAU) UNITED NATIONS WHITE PAPER Report of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq 1 Foreword The Marshlands are of fundamental importance to Iraq, a unique eco-system providing local inhabitants with an essential source of habitat and livelihoods. Not only are the Marshlands an important national heritage and ecological area, but they have also played a vital role in the economic and social advancement of the people of Iraq. At their peak the Marshlands were considered to be the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East, and they played an important role in global ecosystems by supporting rare wildlife and rich biodiversity. Since the 1970s and up to 2003, however, over 90% of the original Marshlands area were drained or destroyed due to systematic over-exploitation, political reprisals against the inhabitants, and a lack of coordinated management. Some 175,000 of its people were forced to flee and relocate throughout Iraq and beyond. For those who have stayed, many live in poor conditions significantly worse than in the rest of the Southern region. Following the 2003 change of regime in Iraq, a unique opportunity emerged to restore the Marshlands. Many communities, institutions and organizations have already begun to mobilize in support of the restoration of the Marshlands. Due to these efforts, roughly 40% of the area has been successfully rehabilitated, and dedicated work continues to restore Marshlands’ biodiversity and livelihoods. The international community is committed to supporting this work. Through the combined expertise of the United Nations Country Team for Iraq and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq has developed this report to support the continued efforts for restoration and coordinated management of the Marshlands. The report focuses on the importance of the Marshlands ecosystem services and the social, economic, and cultural benefits they provide to the Iraqi people, and the report shows the need to intensify the work being done for Marshlands revitalization and rehabilitation. However, revitalizing the Marshlands is more than just bringing back water, people, and biodiversity to the wetlands. The Marshlands’ future depends on how successfully Iraq is able to strike a balance between national development, including the development of the oil industry infrastructure in the Marshlands area, and environmental conservation. Conservation of a unique ecosystem also needs to go hand in hand with social and economic development, ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the people of the Marshlands. This report is intended to provide guidance to the Iraqi Marshlands stakeholders as well as the international community, to help build consensus on the desired future for the Marshlands. The report is thus intended to inspire discussion and the initiation of concrete follow-up action to effectively continue and enhance Marshlands restoration efforts. This report, in draft form, was a key input to the Marshlands Conference, 6 – 7 June 2011, hosted by the University of Basrah and the United Nations, bringing together central and local government, local stakeholders, the private sector and the international community to discuss a common vision for the Marshlands; and was endorsed by the conference participants. Iraq is in an enviable position: it has the human and financial resources to protect and develop the Marshlands for the enjoyment and prosperity of future generations. The ultimate outcome will depend on the collective will to harness these resources and thereby secure the sustainable development of the Marshlands as a unique social, cultural and ecological system for the benefit of all Iraqis. Ms. Christine McNab Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator 2 Acknowledgements In view of the importance of revitalizing the Marshlands to support human survival and economic livelihoods, as well as water needs of the ecosystems providing these services, the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Water Task Force for Iraq in preparing this report are gratefully acknowledged. The hard work of this dedicated group and their insightful contributions to this effort were the primary reason for its completion. The enthusiasm and perseverance of the members of this team made the preparation of this report possible, and sincere thanks go to all of them. We also thank all the participants of the Marshlands Conference for the deliberations and insights which inspried the finaliaztion of this report. 3 Key Messages to Policy Makers » The Marshlands deliver a wide range of services that are critical to the existence and well-being of Iraqis, such as food, clean water and climate control. » Sustainable development of the Marshlands must recognize the need to manage and balance the benefits derived from the ecosystems rather than simply managing the natural resources themselves. Management efforts should therefore be based on a better understanding of the value of ecosystem services and the trade­ offs associated with policies options. » Quality of water in the Marshlands is poor and generally not safe for human consumption in many areas. Water is also less suitable for agriculture and other economic uses. » The loss of permanent natural habitat and the diversity of life has degraded the overall health of the Marshlands ecosystems and diminished their capacity to support Iraqis. » Most of the people living in the Marshlands area are challenged by poor living conditions and a lack of opportunities. Marsh inhabitants are also generally more vulnerable than those living in other areas of the country. » The Marshlands area is subject to a range of pressures that are shaping the area, including upstream water management, climate change, competition over land and resources, economic development and key demographic trends. The ability