The Mesopotamian Marshes are a wetland area located in Southern Iraq. Historically the marshlands used to be the largest wetland ecosystem of Western Eurasia. It is a rare aquatic landscape in the desert, providing habitat for the Marsh Arabs and important populations of wildlife. Draining of portions of the marshes began in the 1950s and continued through the 1970s to reclaim land for agriculture and oil exploration. In the late 1980‘s and 1990‘s, during the presidency of Saddam Hussein, this work was expanded and accelerated to evict Shia Muslims from the marshes. Before 2003, the marshes were drained to 10% of their original size. After the fall of Hussein's regime in 2003, the marshes have partially recovered but drought along with upstream dam construction have hindered the process. Since 2016 the Mesopotamian marshes have been listed as an UNESCO Heritage Site.
The Marsh Arabs are the primary inhabitants of the Mesopotamian Marshes, believed to be descendants of ancient Sumerians, their civilization dating back 5.000 years. They live in secluded villages of elaborate reed houses throughout the marshes, only reached by boat. Fish and water buffalo are the mainstay in their daily lives. In the 1950‘s an estimated 500.000 Marsh Arabs thrived in the reeds. Their population shrank to about 20.000 following the draining and Saddam's violent reprisals. Following the 2003 Iraq invasion, Marsh Arabs have begun to return to the marshes.