Eco-disaster: Iraq’s UNESCO marsh “killed” for oil

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Hawizeh Marsh, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the country’s south, is being deliberately drained to make way for oil development, an Iraqi environmental activist alleged on Tuesday, warning of severe environmental and legal consequences.

Murtadha Abdul-Razzaq, a longtime environmental advocate, told Shafaq News that the marshes in Maysan province have been deprived of essential water flows since late 2021. He said the government’s actions contradict public statements about wetland conservation and reflect a shift toward resource exploitation.

“This drying continued until 2023, when the government included Hawizeh Marsh in its fifth oil licensing round and granted it to a Chinese company,” Abdul-Razzaq said.

Since then, he added, Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources has misrepresented water conditions in the marshes, while the Ministry of Environment has remained inactive. No restrictions have been placed on the operating oil company, and exploration equipment has been deployed in the heart of the heritage zone.

Oil exploration began in late 2024, Abdul-Razzaq said, when the Oil Exploration Company, on behalf of the Chinese operator, brought heavy machinery into the area without obtaining the necessary permits. “These activities are in clear violation of both Iraqi and international laws, which prohibit development in protected zones without prior approval,” he said.

He also criticized a 2024 statement by the Minister of Water Resources, who described the marsh as an “economic and tourism engine,” calling it “contradictory” in light of its transformation into an oil field.

The environmental situation in Maysan has become “dire,” Abdul-Razzaq warned, with local water supplies dwindling to the point where they are now barely sufficient for drinking. He added that Iraq’s marshland area has shrunk dramatically—from 20,000 square kilometers to just 2,000.

Abdul-Razzaq said the decision to delist the Hawizeh Marsh from UNESCO’s World Heritage list can only be made by Iraq’s National Higher Committee for Heritage, cautioning against any unilateral moves.

He reaffirmed his opposition to converting the marshes into oil zones, emphasizing their ecological and cultural importance. “There is an international campaign to defend Hawizeh Marsh,” he said, noting that environmental groups from ten countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe have submitted evidence to UNESCO, including videos and images showing oil equipment inside the marsh.