From Wetlands to Dry Lands: The Destruction of the Mesopotamian Marshlands
The Mesopotamian marshlands in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins were devastated by damming and river channelization during the late 1980s. This graphic illustrates the decline in the area's marshlands by comparing the locations of its marshlands and lakes in 1973 and in 2000. The graphic shows the locations of permanent and seasonal marshes; permanent, shallow and seasonal lakes and mud flats or temporary marshes. The graphic for the year 2000 shows the former extent of the marshlands and that some of the marsh has been replaced by dead or dry vegetation.
Year: 2005
From collection: Vital Water Graphics
Cartographer: Philippe Rekacewicz, Delphine Digout, UNEP/GRID-Arendal