Iraq: Iraq’s southern Ahwar Marshes revived by recent rainfall.

SHOTLIST: AHWAR MARSHES, IRAQ (MAY 18, 2026) 1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF WATER LEVELS IN THE MARSHES / RESIDENTS MOVING WITH CANOES / LIVESTOCKS AROUND 2. VARIOUS OF LIVESTOCKS AROUND / FARMERS TAKING CARE OF THEM 3. VARIOUS OF MEN MOVING ON LAKE WITH CANOEAHWAR MARSHES, IRAQ - MAY 18, 2026: The Ahwar Marshes in southern Iraq, a UNESCO World Heritage site that had suffered significant water loss due to drought, have been revived by recent rainfall. In areas once dominated by cracked earth, boats have begun moving across the water again, fishing activities have resumed, and buffalo herds have returned to the wetlands. With rising water levels in the wetlands, particularly across the provinces of Dhi Qar, Maysan and Basra, daily life for local residents has also begun to normalize. Some families who were forced to leave the region have returned to their lands. The “Marsh Arabs,” also known as the residents of Ahwar, who returned to their homes after the fall of Saddam in 2003, complain that the area of great importance has been neglected by successive governments. The marshlands covering parts of Basra, Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces have continued to shrink due to these policies and have also been negatively affected by climate change.