Ecological Challenges in Iraq: New Movements, New Possibilities

Last week I was speaking in Oslo at the Ecological Challenges Conference in a panel titled: "New Movements, New Possibilities." The conference gathered academics and activists from around the world to exchange ideas between academics doing research on ecology and the environment and activists doing work on the ground. It was a great opportunity to present the work of the Save the Tigris Campaign and to present new and emerging environmental movements in the Middle East.

Here is my intervention on the panel that I shared with Dan Chodorkoff, Havin Güneser and Mark Luccarelli:

"Ecology, democracy, participation, climate and movements. These are themes that emerged during the weekend at this conference. yesterday, I tales about ecological movements in the Middle East, and I spoke about the case of the Iraqii Marshe and the campaign to protect the Tigris and I couldn't speak about that without speaking about solidarity.

In our campaign we focus on the protection of the Iraqi Marshes form development projects like Ilisu dam, which is also tied to the protection of water resources, culture and people. In Turkey, the dam will destroy ancient history of the Kurds and will flood thousands of years of civilisation. That is why we have built solidarity networks with Kurdish/Turkish activists. We have joined because we have a common fight. The dam not only challenges ecology but also democracy. It's being built without consultation with local communities, let alone communities in Iraq that will be affected. 

Turkey is trying to consolidate regional power by using water,  and in doing so it is appropriating resources that are shared. 

In building new movements the role of solidarity is key, as it strengthens local struggles and empower communities when they see that they are not alone. For example, we have been at the Ilisu dam site protesting with locals who otherwise are called terrorists because Turkey considers the dam an national security issue. 

In Iraq new democratic and civil platforms are developing that are also built in the principle of solidarity like the Iraqi Social FOrum. It is exactly one year since we were in Baghdad with a delegation of international activists at the Iraqi Social Forum. I see hope for new movements in young activists that want to build change in their country and the North-South cooperation and solidarity is a direct way od supporting the emergence of new movements in the South. There are challenges and it is a long term commitment but we are ale irresponsible to support those who are fighting in more difficult, and less democratic countries."

Journal from Iraq: Global Solidarity, Transboundary Water and the Challenging Work of Saving a River

May 2^nd, 2013, Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan, Iraq

I've been off writing for a long time. Lately,  a sense of overwhelming has won me. Since last March, I was extremely busy with a lot of travel, which I love, but I get tired and often sick. Working on an advocacy campaign to protect Iraq's right to water has been the most amazing experience of my life, personally and professionally, but also a very demanding  task both physically and emotionally. 

In March, I was in Tunis, for the World Social Forum and had the opportunity to share experiences with other water activists and community organizers from all over the world. We organized a session on global solidarity against water grabbing by mining and dam projects with other two groups from Turkey and Latin America. It was amazing and we got to meet people from Peru, Mexico, India, Turkey and share experiences on the same issues: water grabbing.  Then I went to Basra, to be part of the first green festival on the Iraqi Marshes. I was denied entry, and deported back to Turkey. 

In Tunis, at the Climate Space talking about our session on dams and mining projects

From there, I traveled to Hasankeyf to share our struggle with the people who's lives will be directly impacted by the Ilisu dam. People in Hasankeyf  have been living in limbo for the past 10 years due to lack of certainty about the project's plans.

View of the Hasankeyf Artukid Bridge and the Tigris River

At the Green Festival in Suleimaniya with material
about the Save Tigris Campaign

Then back in Iraq, April saw a rise in violence, killing of protestors, and activists and an increase in the sectarian divide. That is discouraging and makes you reflect if your work is worthy. If I think about my work, its exciting and unique. A friend asked me yesterday what does a normal day looks like. There is no normal day, but this is how one of my days might look like: I could be speaking to Iraqi activists about how to strategize for next awareness workshop on water issues in Iraq, talking to international law experts getting legal advice on how to make people/government/transnational companies accountable for human rights or environmental law violations related to  dams projects affecting Iraq. To academics on transboundary water issues between Turkey and Iraq and the impacts of dams on Iraqi water resources. To journalists, explaining the aim of our advocacy campaign, or to common people about the importance to take steps to demand politicians to take action to protect Iraqi water resources.

I could be on any stretch of the Tigris River in Turkey, or in Iraq, or in the Iraqi Marshlands visiting the communities that will be affected by dam projects and explaining the efforts to protect Iraq's water.

A woman on the Iraqi Marshes in Chibayish, Nasriya province. The marshes are located in three of the south provinces of Iraq, Nasriya, Missan and Basra. 

Kids playing on the banks of the Tigris River in Hasankeyf, Turkey. This town is full of historical sites and is threatened to be flooded by the construction of Ilisu dam. The campaign I work, is to raise awareness about the impacts of this dam in Iraq and Turkey.

Taking to Iraqi Media after one of our seminars in south Iraq

All this is super interesting, but is natural to be tired and even discouraged, because as colleagues from Mexico shared with us, “these are long and tiring fights.” It is easy to get discouraged when you see or hear in the news what politicians really prioritize here in Iraq. The Iraqi government’s priority is to crack on protests, increase sectarian division, exploit the country’s resources for their own interest, while keeping people hostage, to surrender to the power –in the case the Shia majority to Maliki because he is the sole protector of the Shia majority population- and to look to their own political interests:  to consolidate power. The name of the game is Fear. On the other side, Turkey continues to appropriate water that belongs to Iraqis.

On a hiking trip to Kani Shook, one of the amazing canyons in Suleimaniya.

So how do I keep my sanity and motivation? In Spanish, there is a saying: “There is no calamity that last 100 years, nor body that can resist it.” When I m overwhelmed, I try to go into nature. Here in the north of Iraq, there is amazing nature, canyons, rivers, and mountains. Being in nature helps me to forget and to relax.

I trust that Iraqi people soon realize that division and sectarianism are not ingredients to develop a democratic and inclusive society. They must stop being fearful, and start to challenge the structures that prevent development. After years of war and dictatorship, Iraqis must work together to build a place based on inclusion not division, transparency, not corruption, redistribution of wealth [and Iraq has big wealth], and justice and protection of their environment. When they understand that those who want to bring fear and terror are the ones that benefit from a terrified population, that keep their power by instilling fear, then breaking the cycle of fear, will set them free. That, of course has a price; it does not come the easy way. That is part of history, no people have been granted freedom and justice; they have fought for it. I thin we have lost many, probably too many and is time to recognise that violence and terror cannot last forever.

Meet Me in Hasankeyf: Culture, People and Politics in Hasankeyf

After our session on global solidarity against water grabs, I headed to south east Turkey, the Kurdistan of Turkey, to the region where the GAP project is being implemented to attend the Hasankeyf Ingathering (April 5-8th) and explore this ancient city under threat of being engulfed by the Tigris river and with it, to wash away its ancient history and the culture of Mesopotamia.

Kids enjoying a Sunday afternoon picnic by the river in Hasankeyf. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

The town of Hasankeyf, located at the intersection of Mesopotamia and Anatolia, is a small village of 2,900 people on the banks of the Tigris River. Mesopotamia, from the Greek “the land between the two rivers”.  After the Arab conquest, the land was divided into two: the south was called Sevad or Iraq, and the north was called Al Jazeera- “island”. Excavation in Hasankeyf Cairn proved that this town was part of the Neolithic revolution, taking Hasankeyf 11,500 years back in history. For this reason it has been shortlisted for the Europa Nostra list of the "7 most endangered."

Hasankeyf in History

Hasankeyf was one of the major stops on the transport route during medieval times, that started from Diyarbakir, passing through Cizre and Mosul to Baghdad. This was only possible because of the Tigris River, which is now under threat by the construction of Ilisu Dam, on a region that once was the beginning of civilization. It was also here in Hasankeyf were Islam set its roots in Anatolia, making the region around Hasankeyf one of the most important historical sites for the Islamic world.

Many rulers and conquerors passed through Hasankeyf, which reached its peak and developed its true identity between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries under the rule of the Artuqids (1102-1132) and Ayyubids. The bridge built by the Artuqids in Hasankeyf stands as the most magnificent example of the medieval period.

Artukid Bridge-12th century, Artukid. This majestic bridge was key to the city’s success as a regional trading center. The 12 carvings of human figures on hte central pylons are intriguing examples of Seljuk art (Cevik 56). Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

When Politics meets Archeology

There have been historical sites that have been already flooded, notably the roman city of Zeugma, near Gaziantep, which was submerged by Birecik dam on the Euphrates, the city was an important center for the Romans. When the dam lake started to sink the city, with some of the “most extraordinary examples to survive from the ancient world”. Some of the world’s top restorers arrived from Italy to rescue them from the floodwaters. Now you can visit the “Atlantis” underwater city and the historical park/museum that was built which displays the ancient mosaics. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, at a cost of 30 million dollars has a collection of the rescued mosaics. Now visitors are able to see the carefully excavated buildings and streets, just 50 yards from the lake created by the dam reservoir there is a shiny $1.5-million multi level structure constructed to protect the remains of five Roman houses.

Hasankeyf meets 9 out of 10 of UNESCO’s criteria for a World Heritage Site. Rules from the WHC say that the only legitimate entity to propose a site is a government. In this case Turkey is not interested to apply for Hasankeyf, as this will put in jeopardy the biggest hydroelectric project on the Tigris River, Ilisu Dam. Prof. Cevik puts it this way: “Despite Hasankeyf survival of several uprisings, invasions and wars, escaping the Mongolian invasion, resisting neglect and chaos during the Ilhanli Governor’s period and consequently managing to heal all its wounds,  is now facing annihilation by the Ilisu dam project. It is not only Hasankeyf that will be flooded but also our architectural and cultural tradition; our history and identity.”

Zeynel Bey Tomb, Akkoyunlu, 15th Century. This monument is a rare, if not unique example of Timurid architecture in Anatolia, with onion dome, cylindrical exterior and octagonal interior. The large Arabic calligrams in deep blue tiles, wit h the names of Allah-Mohamed-Ali, reflect the intermingling elements today associated with Sunni-Shi’a branches of Islam. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

The area of Hasankeyf was declared an archaeological site in 1978. Yet it is threatened to be flooded by the Ilisu dam, The project is built 80 km. downstream of Hasankeyf and the dam lake will cover all of the lower city. However, a scheme for relocation/protection of the monuments against inundation has not been researched, planned or approved. The Tigris River has been diverted through tunnels at the dam site, but still no concrete plan is in place for the sites protection and conservation. The collection of structures in Hasankeyf represents a unique collection of cultural assets in good state of preservation in one place that is valuable to those living in Modern Turkey, Greece, Iran, Syria, Iraq and beyond. In addition to its cultural value, Hasankeyf is unique for its biological diversity. A 2012 study by Murat Biricik and Recep Karakan recorded 133 species of birds, 18 of which are threatened species. The value of biodiversity is protected by 1992 Convention on Biodiversity to which Turkey is a signatory.

Meet me in Hasankeyf

Together with a delegation from Iraqis from Nature Iraq and ICSSI-Save the Tigris Campaign,  and internationals working in Iraq, we joined the "3rd Hasankeyf Ingathering" hosted jointly by by Doga Dernegi, Hasankeyf Matters and Nature Iraq. The ingathering is meant to promote Hasankeyf’s potential as a world class tourism site, but most importantly, to link locals and internationals together to share ideas on how to make the issue of Hasankeyf known to the rest of the world and to present Hasankeyf as a source for scholarship, cross-cultural understanding and sustainable economic development.

On Friday night, after dinner at Hasbahce, we watched Hasankeyf Life in Limbo, a documentary by Sakae Ishikawa, that we were very honored to have with us in Hasankeyf. John Crofoot from Hasankeyf Matters presented the program for the weekend, which included a scavenger hunt, a video contest, canyon walks and documentary watching and discussions. The program also included hiking, and canyon walks, early bird watching, and art workshops with children, and drinking tea and chatting with Hasankeyf women.

Hiking is one of many outdoor activities that you can enjoy in Hasankeyf. This is just part of the view from Hasankeyf and the Tigris river from one of the canyons. Hasankeyf Ingathering, photo by Johanna L. Rivera

Exploring the town means to go back in history to visit the Ayyubids, through Hasankeyf’s Rizk and Koç mosque, Suleiman’s mosque, Zeynel Bey Tomb, hiking through its amazing canyons, and meeting the local “çoban” or shepherd, and exploring the thousands of caves carved into the limestone cliffs overlooking the Tigris River.

On a Saturday afternoon, we were invited by the village's women for a delicious dolma lunch stuffed 

grape leave and vegetables. We seated on the grass overlooking the majestuous Suleiman’s mosque dating back to the 15th century. There, we were surrounded by children playing and the silent monuments testifying to thousands of years of culture and history; we chatted about customs and traditions in Hasankeyf, talking about weddings, and traditional life.

On Sunday early morning, some woke up just before 5:00 to hike up on the canyon, to enjoy the amazing views that Hasankeyf offers, and watch the sunrise from one of the canyons, I was a bit lazy and woke up just before 6:00 for the bird watching. It was my first bird watching experience, but Evrim, our local Doga Dernegi guide made it a great one, Hasankeyf’s breathtaking views are sufficient to make anyone want to wake up early. Its quietness, its birds, its river, its cliffs, its monuments all conspire to make Hasankeyf a unique jewel, a place of peace, of joy, of happiness.

Doga Dernegi organized a bird watching, worth waking up at 5:00 am. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

On Monday morning, over tea and pide, Fares, a Hasankeify, described the trips on the Tigris using the Kelek, the traditional boat they used to transport goods through the Tigris River from Diyarbakir to Mosul. These trips along with the traditional boats used stopped around the 1960’s, coinciding with the dam era.  Our attempts to gather the local knowledge of the river and how these trips were done are part of the The Tigris Flotilla, where we will reproduce the journey through the Tigris using the Kelek, the traditional boat used in this part of the Tigris. We will also travel with the Tarrada and the Guffa, trying to bring awareness to the threats facing these timeless waters.

Fares as he described the journeys through the Tigris on the Kalak, the traditional boat used in this part of the river. Photo by Johanna L. Rivera

Monday night, it was time to say goodbye to our new friends and to start our journey back to Iraq. My eyes watered and it was hard to say goodbye to the new-but feeling like old Hasankeyf family. After meeting Firat and his hospitality, Arif with his friendliness and a unique story for each carpet in his shop, Fares and the old river stories, and the friends at Villa Park and Artukid cafe, exploring the canyons, caves, mosques and other unique architectural jewels, it is hard to picture that the future of Hasankeyf is still uncertain. As our bus was approaching and after some bargaining, we managed to have Arif sing to us Aiche, and Ahmed and Mohamed followed with a traditional Iraqi song. The Ingathering was special  for all of us who attended, Iraqis, Hasankeyfis and of course us from all parts of the world. I liked the words of our friend John: “ I loved the send off for you guys when you boarded the bus back to Sulaymaniyah -- we were singing and dancing in the middle of the main intersection, one great big family of human beings.”

A version of this blogpost appears at the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative website.
The work is part of the Save the Tigris Campaign in an effort to expose the dangers of Ilisu dam to the communities in Hasankeyf and the communities surrounding the Tigris River in Iraq.

Socio-economic, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Ilisu in Mesopotamia

In the past, Southern Iraqi marsh desiccation was an environmental disaster that severely impacted a variety of species. Water buffalo, for which the marshes have provided a long-time favorable habitat, were affected by the desiccating process, with additional negative ramifications on economic livelihoods. Drying reduced the number of water buffalo in the marshes, mainly due to their dependence on available water and reeds. Additionally, the buffalo’s economic importance forced most breeders to leave the marshes and seek other wetland habitats far from the desiccated areas. However, in 2003 many breeders returned to the marshes after the re-flooding.

Iraq faces enormous challenges in terms of water resources. Once the cradle of civilizations, an agricultural haven, now Iraq’s land has dried significantly mostly due to man-made causes. For the past 20 years upstream dams in the Euphrates have reduced Iraq’s water income, and now the most important water lifeline in the country, the Tigris River, will be further reduced having catastrophic effects on the lives of Iraqis who will see their livelihoods affected by increased drought and loss of lands due to lack of water.   I was preparing a presentation for the Save Tigris Workshop in Basra with the advise of Dr. Jabbari, an Iraqi professor which has extensive experience in transboundary water issues in the Euphrates Tigris Basin. I received a call from Basra University, Marine Science Center inviting me to give a lecture about the Ilisu dam and its impact in Iraq to its faculty as part of a conference “Learning by Doing”.  It was a great opportunity to connect civil society and academia. The Marine Science Centre at Basra University is the major research center in Iraq and in the region.

Faculty at the Marin Science Center in Basra, Iraq

Basrah, Iraq’s southern most city, is unique in that it is where the Tigrisand Euphrates rivers meet, it is said to be the place where the garden of Eden once was; yet it faces unique water challenges. The city’s water system suffers from high salinity due to intrusion of seawater from the gulf into the Shat Al Arab. the confluence of Tigris-Euphrates caused by decreased flow from the river. The intrusion goes up to almost half of Shatt Al Arab, about 75-90 kilometers affecting most of the city of Basra, in particular Faw, where the population suffer from health issues related to the water contamination.

 Ilisu dam is the biggest dam being built by Turkey on the Tigris River, and one of 22 dams built as part of GAP mega-project in Turkey. When all dam projects are implemented, Turkey’s total storage capacity in the Euphrates will reach 94.78 BCM (three times the river’s average annual discharge at the Syrian/Iraqi border. On the Tigris the storage will reach 17.6 BCM (about the average annual flow at the Turkish/Iraqi border), this means total control over Iraqi water! 

During my presentation, I discussed with the faculty the negative effects on the socio-economical, cultural and environmental resources of a country which is healing from deep wounds cause by years of war and economic sanctions. Ilisu dam will cause further drought in a country that has been severely hit during 2007-2009. Other significant effects are water pollution, degradation of water quality, and loss of agricultural land. Iraq will loose up to 47% of its annual water income and about 40% of its agricultural lands and in turn decrease its agricultural output causing unemployment and subsequent displacement of Iraqi farmers. In Northern Iraq we have sees an example of this with the Alwand River (another Tigris tributary) drying due to upstream diversion and damming in Iran, having devastating consequences for farmers.

Water an integral part of the culture and lifestyle that the Marsh Arabs have sustained for thousands of years. Without water there is no livelihood.

Marsh Arabs livelihoods stems from fishing and buffalo herding. Water buffalos play a key role in Marsh Arab way of life and are an indicator of the quality of marsh life.

The faculty was very receptive but challenged me on different levels. They brought the issue of other dams being built inside Iraq. At the end of the session, they asked how they could provide support. One of the visiting academics commented that Turkey was developing its agricultural sector by building dams for irrigation. Turkey has the right to develop its agriculture, but not in violation of international law and at the expense of millions of Iraqis. Both governments have to reach an agreement for cooperation and equal shares of the Tigris River. We discussed the role of academia, how they have the technical expertise and the access to unique information that can inform policy change for the benefit of both Turkey and Iraq.

The water issue in Iraq has local, national and regional dimensions. The Iraqi government is taking little and slow steps to implement water management policies at the national level, and Maliki said last week that the water committee must take transboundary issues as a priority. At the regional level, on one hand Iraq is vulnerable as a downstream riparian state, on the other hand the Iraqi government has tools to bargain, Iraq being one of Turkey’s biggest trade partners. In 2008 Turkey was the 2^nd most important import partner with 20.6% of total export trade, they could bring this to the bargaining table with Turkey. Through projects like GAP, and Ilisu dam, Turkey is strengthening its economic, political and securing its hegemonic position and will have full control over Iraqi water resources, placing Iraq in a vulnerable political position. It is not an easy task that can be solved with one lecture, but this meeting was the start of many more discussions on transboundary water issues that need to happen at a country wise scale. The university is a great place to have these discussions because is the center of knowledge where more open and scientific discussions can be held. Here is a link to the presentation:

Impacts of Ilisu Dam in Mesopotamia 

The muddhif is a reef structure where the tribe’s sheikhs gather to discuss issues of importance to the community. The tribal guesthouse serves as political, social, judicial, and religious centre of the Marsh Arab’s life.

Mission Possible: Saving the Craddle of Civilization

After the lecture at Basra University-Marine Science Center and the peace run, things were pointing in the right direction. Being in Basra was historical, and after months of preparations, it was actually happening. Hundreds of Iraqis were gathered together, talking about non-violence and the issues currently challenging civil society to move into a democratic and participatory Iraq.

It was a mixture of feelings; I was a bit nervous but happy and excited. For the first time I was going to talk to Iraqis about the water issue and the Ilisu dam. Not that they didn’t know about it, but that we were going to be developing strategies to stop the dam. Sheikhs from the marshes in the provinces of Thiqar and Amara had come to Basra to participate in the discussion together with members of the campaign from Babel and Baghdad. They were coming together to present their experiences and discuss the impact of Ilisu dam on Iraqi people.

This was really powerful; I was sitting in the middle of the sheikhs, who in Iraq represent authority and respect, and Iraqi activists, and I thought, what a privilege. As we were trying to organize the order of the workshop, suddenly the meeting turned into a discussion of the issue and we started to develop strategies at the local, national and international level.  The sheikhs together with members of the campaign discussed for more than one hour and I sat there really excited as they talked about advocacy and direct action.

During the workshop we had a presentation from Jassim Al-Assadi, from Nature Iraq' office in Chibayish about water and peace. Jassim has been a strong advocate for the restoration of the marshes. A “son of the marshes”, he advocates passionately to keep this natural and millenary cultural heritage, dating back to the Sumerians. He showed pictures of the marshes back in 2007 when restoration efforts by the community had being successful to bring water back after Saddam’s regime intentionally drain them after the Iran-Iraq war. Then in 2008-2009 there was a devastating drought that dried the whole landscape. With these pictures he was trying to show the impact that projects like Ilisu dam are going to have in the south marshes of Iraq.

Zaid from the Iraqi People’s Campaign to Save the Tigris, a grassroots initiative started by Iraqis is working to bring awareness about the impact of Ilisu dam on Iraqi water resources. He presented some of their activities, which includes collecting signatures to support the submission by the Iraqi government of the Central marshes as a World Heritage Site to UNESCO.

The Sheikhs At this point, the workshop broke into two groups to discuss strategies at the local/national and international level to stop the construction of the dam. The two groups came up with ways that Iraqis can bring attention to the issue at the international and national level.

It was really powerful to see youth together with the sheikhs discussing the use of media as tool a tool for advocacy and awareness. There were strategy disagreements; for example, the sheikhs disagreed with the youth on the use of social media as facebook, while the youth were more inclined to use it as a tool for increasing awareness. In the end they both agreed that Iraqis need to be informed about the issue. The sheikhs were eager to organize more workshops in different provinces.  Although we could have stayed for hours discussing the issue, the workshop was an opportunity for organizing and engaging new people especially youth from Basra.

Iraqis discussing the local/national strategy

I feel very positive that this campaign is going in the rights direction and that despite the seriousness of the issue, people were hopeful that they can organize at the grassroots level to save the craddle of civilisation: the mesopotamian marshes!

Flooding the Cradle of Civilization: Campaign Against the Ilisu Dam

Last year around this time I was in a town called Hasankeyf located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in the Kurdistan part of Turkey. The Tigris Valley, with the ancient city of Hasankeyf at its centre, is one of mankind’s most valuable cultural assets.  We drove from Kiziltepe, passing through the ancient town of Medyat and eventually reached Hasankeyf, driving slowly through a road under construction. As I explored this portion of the Silk Road, I had goose-bumps and my eyes watered at my first views of the Tigris River. All this beauty is at risk of being flooded by the construction of the Ilisu Dam. Back when I was there, I didn’t know anything about this project. When I recently heard about it, I asked one of my friends who works in an environmental organization here in Iraq and she told me about the impacts of the dam not only in Turkey, but also here in Iraq.

More than 20 ancient cultures have left their mark here, including the Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Sassanids, Byzantines, Abbasids, and Artuqids which are the base upon which our civilization has been built

The History-- The Ilisu Dam -under construction for two years now- is one of 22 dams to be built in Turkey on the Euphrates and Tigris river basins. It is part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project- (Turkish: Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi, GAP). GAP's basic aim is to eliminate regional development disparities by raising people's income level and living standards; and to contribute to such national development targets as social stability and economic growth by enhancing the productive and employment generating capacity of the rural sector. Current activities under GAP include sectors such as irrigation, hydraulic energy production, agriculture, urban and rural infrastructure, forestry, education and health. The 1200 MW and 2 billion Euro project has become one of the most controversial projects in the international finance community. 

Despite claim of the government that the Dam will bring economical development to the area, human rights and environmental organizations critique the way the project has been implemented. No consultation with neighboring states affected by the dam, nor with the affected populations is one of the major arguments against the construction of the dam. To date approximately 60% of the GAP has been implemented, however no improvements can be seen for the local people, rather, they have had to bear the social, cultural and ecological costs while the industrial centres in West-Turkey and big companies gain profit. Grassroots efforts had been successful in the past; after several years of local and international campaigning, the Export Credit Agencies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, made an unprecedented step in July 2009, by suspending the credit guarantee due to the Turkish failure to comply with required environmental, social and cultural heritage conditions. However, the Turkish state and the companies found new financing and continue with the project. The credit is given by three Turkish banks (Akbank, Garantibank and Halkbank) with a credit guarantee by the Turkish government and other which are not presented to the public. The current consortium consists of four Turkish companies (particularly Nurol and Cengizler) and the Austrian company Andritz and two more small Swiss companies.

Iraq's southern Marshes were were almost completely destroyed by Saddam Hussein in a retaliation against rebellious Marsh Arabs. New data shows remarkable improvement to the marsh ecosystem since Hussein's fall from power thanks to international restoration efforts, but pollution and water depletion are still concerns.Photograph by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/Getty Images

Environmental and Cultural Impacts-- In Turkey, the planned Ilisu Dam and reservoir would completely or partially flood 199 villages and the antique city of Hasankeyf, which are the homes of up to 78,000 people, while in Iraq 50% of the population is dependent on the Tigris River. The Marshes in South Iraq, the largest wetlands in the Middle East and home to the Marsh-Arabs, with their 5,000 -year-old culture will particularly suffer due to the construction of this dam. In 2009, Iraq suffered a devastating drought, partially attributable to Turkish dams.

Besides the severe cultural and ecological impacts, this major dam also threatens the right to water, food and self-determined socio-economic development of at least several hundred thousand people in both Turkey and Iraq. Additionally, as it can be seen on the Euphrates River, large upstream dams in Turkey have negative impacts on the political stability of the region.

Upper and lower Mesopotamia has been the starting point of the transition to sedentary agriculture and one of the first civilizations of humanity. This region provides the exceptional chance to gain further knowledge of humanity’s history. This important heritage should not be destroyed for the Ilisu Project and other dams which are expected to have a lifespan of 50 to 70 years.

Water Politics--The Turkish government is not interested in any dialogue with the affected local people and their representatives and has not had any serious discussion with the downstream states of Iraq and Syria. For Turkey, controlling the water in the region is a tool of political domination, and they are doing it at a time that the Iraqi and the Syrian government are very weak and cannot defend their international right to water, in a process that has been all but participatory. Once the dam is built, Turkey could use it as a bargaining chip to reassure their power in a volatile, water scarce region. Undammed river effluence flows from 100 to 300 cubic meters per second, but upon completion of the dam project, only a flow of 60 cubic meters will be guaranteed.

Marsh Arabs in Hasankeyf, Turkey in a solidarity action to raise awareness about the impacts of Ilisu dam in the Iraqi Marshes. May 2012. Photo by: Nature Iraq

The government of Iraq does not show the necessary effort to act against the destructive dams from the upstream states Turkey and Iran. To this day, neither Hasankeyf nor the Mesopotamian Marshlands are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO can only grant this status at the request of the Turkish government. Turkey refuses to take this step, despite being called upon by the European Parliament to do so in 2004. The Marshlands of Mesopotamia are on the Tentative List submitted by Iraq to the World Heritage Committee in 2003, but since then no further steps have been taken. In order to conserve the tremendous cultural and natural heritage of Mesopotamia the UNESCO must make an effort by putting pressure on the governments of Turkey not to build the Ilisu Dam and on Turkey and Iraq to nominate Hasankeyf and the Mesopotamian Marshlands for their list of World Heritage Sites.

In Iraq, the Iraqi Civil Society Initiative (ICSSI) is supporting a transnational advocacy campaign, looking to bring the issue back to the table. Raising awareness of the impact of the dam construction in Iraqi water resources and joining forces within Iraq, Turkey and Iran, we have started a petition supporting the submission of the Marshes as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Turkey, initiatives like Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive and organizations like Doga, are doing the same with Hasankeyf, and shaming the local banks financing the dam and also have brought many artists and writers to support their campaign. Internationally there have been European efforts like Stop Ilisu Campaign, that have worked on raising awareness internationally and helped to get international banks to divest from the project.

UNESCO must work with both the government and civil society to seek attention from the international community to this important issue. The consequences are cultural, political, and environmental and need to be addressed immediately. I’m not saying we should oppose development, but we should look at all the possible negative impacts and work to mitigate them. To develop a participatory, inclusive and sustainable plan in compliance with international law, that could benefit both the economy and the people that is impacted by the changes.

Please sign the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/unesco-world-heritage-committee-save-world-heritage-on-the-tigris-river-in-mesopotamia