tigris–euphrates river system - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TigrisEuphrates_river_system

TigrisEuphrates river system

Marsh Arabs poling a mashoofin the marshes of southernIraq

Ecology

Ecozone Palearctic

Biome Flooded grasslands and savannas

Geography

Area 35,600 km2 (13,700 sq mi)

Country Turkey, Syria, Iraq, IranOceans or seas none

Rivers Tigris, Euphrates, Greater Zab, Lesser

Zab.

Climate type subtropical, hot and arid

Conservation

Conservation

status

critical/endangered

TigrisEuphrates river systemFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The TigrisEuphrates river system is part ofthe palearctic TigrisEuphrates alluvial salt marshecoregion, in the flooded grasslands andsavannas biome, located in Western Asia.

Contents

1 Geography2 General description3 Ecological threats4 Water dispute5 Conservation

6 In media7 See also8 References9 External links

Geography

The ecoregion is characterized by two large

rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. The rivers haveseveral small tributaries which feed into thesystem from shallow freshwater lakes, swamps,and marshes, all surrounded by desert. Thehydrology of these vast marshes is extremelyimportant to the ecology of the entire upperPersian Gulf. Historically, the area is known asMesopotamia. As part of the larger FertileCrescent, it saw the earliest emergence of literateurban civilization in the Uruk period, for which

reason it is often dubbed the "Cradle ofCivilization".

In the 1980s, this ecoregion was put in grave danger as the IranIraq War raged within its boundaries. Thewetlands of Iraq, which were inhabited by the Marsh Arabs, were completely dried out, and have only recentlyshown signs of recovery.

The TigrisEuphrates Basin is primarily shared by Turkey, Syria and Iraq, with many Tigris tributaries originating inIran. Since the 1960s and in 1970s, when Turkey began the GAP project in earnest, water disputes have regularlyoccurred in addition to the associated dam's effects on the environment. In addition, Syrian and Iranian dam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooded_grasslands_and_savannashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertile_Crescenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigrishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#In_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Ecological_threatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#General_descriptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooded_grasslands_and_savannashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palearctichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Anatolia_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Arabshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk_periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertile_Crescenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigrishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#In_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Conservationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Water_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Ecological_threatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#General_descriptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#Geographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooded_grasslands_and_savannashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palearctichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical/endangeredhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregion_conservation_statushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Zabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigrishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooded_grasslands_and_savannashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palearctichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecozonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Arabshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_Arabs_in_a_mashoof.jpg


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This visualization shows variations in total water

storage from normal, in millimeters, in the Tigris

and Euphrates river basins, from January 2003

through December 2009. Reds represent drier

conditions, while blues represent wetter conditions.

The effects of the seasons are evident, as is the

major drought that hit the region in 2007. The

majority of the water lost was due to reductions in

groundwater caused by human activities.

construction has also contributed to political tension within the basin, particularly during drought.

General description

The general climate of the Salt Marsh is subtropical, hot and arid. At the northern end of the Persian Gulf is the vafloodplain of the Euphrates, Tigris, and Karun Rivers, featuring huge permanent lakes, marshes, and forest. Theaquatic vegetation includes reeds, rushes, and papyrus, which support numerous species. Areas around the Tigris

and the Euphrates are very fertile. Marshy land is home to water birds, some stopping here while migrating, andsome spending the winter in these marshes living off thelizards, snakes, frogs, and fish. Other animals found in thesemarshes are water buffalo, two endemic rodent species,antelopes and gazelles and small animals such as the jerboaand several other mammals.

Ecological threats

Iraq suffers from desertification and soil salination due inlarge part to thousands of years of agricultural activity.Water and plant life are sparse. Saddam Hussein'sgovernment water-control projects drained the inhabitedmarsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or divertingstreams and rivers. Shi'a Muslims were displaced under theBa'athist regime. The destruction of the natural habitat

poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations.There are also inadequate supplies of potable water.

The marshlands were a fine and extensive natural wetlands

ecosystem which developed over thousands of years in theTigrisEuphrates basin and once covered 1520,000 square kilometers. According to the United NationsEnvironmental Program and the AMAR Charitable Foundation, between 84% and 90% of the marshes have beendestroyed since the 1970s. In 1994, 60 percent of the wetlands were destroyed by Hussein's regime drained to

permit military access and greater political control of the native Marsh Arabs. Canals, dykes and dams were builtrouting the water of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers around the marshes, instead of allowing water to move slowlythrough the marshland. After part of the Euphrates was dried up due to re-routing its water to the sea, a dam was

built so water could not back up from the Tigris and sustain the former marshland. Some marshlands were burnedand pipes buried underground helped to carry away water for quicker drying.

The drying of the marshes led to the disappearance of the salt-tolerant vegetation; the plankton rich waters thatfertilized surrounding soils; 52 native fish species; the wild boar, red fox, buffalo and water birds of the marshhabitat.

Water dispute

The issue of water rights became a point of contention for Iraq, Turkey and Syria beginning in the 1960s whenTurkey implemented a public-works project (the GAP project) aimed at harvesting the water from the Tigris andEuphrates rivers through the construction of 22 dams, for irrigation and hydroelectric energy purposes. Although thwater dispute between Turkey and Syria was more problematic, the GAP project was also perceived as a threat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Anatolia_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_birdhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubalus_bubalishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_foxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_boarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planktonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halophytehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Arabshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AMAR_Charitable_Foundation&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environmental_Programhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%27athisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi%27a_Muslimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draining_of_the_Qurna_Marsheshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Husseinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_salinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerboahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazellehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antelopehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemic_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_buffalohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncaceaehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_(plant)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodplain


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by Iraq. The tension between Turkey and Iraq about the issue was increased by the effect of Syria and Turkey'sparticipation in the UN embargo against Iraq following the Gulf War. However, the issue had never become assignificant as the water dispute between Turkey and Syria.[1]

The 2008 drought in Iraq sparked new negotiations between Iraq and Turkey over trans-boundary river flows.Although the drought affected Turkey, Syria and Iran as well, Iraq complained regularly about reduced water flowIraq particularly complained about the Euphrates River because of the large amount of dams on the river. Turkeyagreed to increase the flow several times, beyond its means in order to supply Iraq with extra water. Iraq has seensignificant declines in water storage and crop yields because of the drought. To make matters worse, Iraq's waterinfrastructure has suffered from years of conflict and neglect.[2]

In 2008, Turkey, Iraq and Syria agreed to restart the Joint Trilateral Committee on water for the three nations forbetter water resources management. Turkey, Iraq and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding on Septembe3, 2009, in order to strengthen communication within the TigrisEuphrates Basin and to develop joint water-flow-monitoring stations. On September 19, 2009, Turkey formally agreed to increase the flow of the Euphrates River 450 to 500 cu. cms., but only until October 20, 2009. In exchange, Iraq agreed to trade petroleum with Turkeyand help curb Kurdish militant activity in their border region. One of Turkey's last large GAP dams on the Tigris the Ilisu Dam is strongly opposed by Iraq and is the source of political strife.[3]

Conservation

With the breaching of dikes by local communities subsequent to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the ending of afour-year drought that same year, the process has been reversed and the marshes have experienced a substantialrate of recovery. The permanent wetlands now cover more than 50% of 1970s levels, with a remarkable regrowthof the Hammar and Hawizeh Marshes and some recovery of the Central Marshes. [4]

Efforts to restore the marshes have led to signs of their gradual revivification as water is restored to the former

desert, but the whole ecosystem may take far longer to restore than it took to destroy.

Conservation status: critical/endangeredProtected areaEndemic species: Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis), Iraq Babbler (Turdoides altirostris)Threatened species: Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) - endangeredExtinct species: subspecies of rat and another of otter

In media

Dawn of the World, film, 2008.Zaman, The Man From The Reeds, film, 2003

See also

Soil salinationMesopotamian MarshesShatt al-Arab
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatt_al-Arabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamian_Marsheshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_salinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_of_the_Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deserthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Marshes_(Iraq)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawizeh_Marshes_(Iraq/Iran)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammar_Marsheshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_US_invasion_of_Iraqhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilisu_Damhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joint_Trilateral_Committee&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-boundary_riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_sanctions


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References

1. ^ Uzgel I., 1992. GVENSZLK GEN: TRKYE, SURYE, IRAK VE SU SORUNU, MLKYELLERBRL DERGS, 162, p.47-52

2. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE54M0XG20090523 Turkey lets more water out ofdams to Iraq: MP

3. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5giDgd3ukLR8UcfziUQcNToKyM_tw Turkey to upEuphrates flow to Iraq

4. ^ Iraqi Marshlands: Steady Progress to Recovery(http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/poster/images/iraqi_marshlandsb) (UNEP)

External links

Persian Gulf image (http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov//2256/PersianGulf.A2001305_250m.jpg)BBC: Iraq marshes' recovery 'in doubt' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5295044.stm)

Amur meadow steppe China, Russia

Bohai Sea saline meadow China

Nenjiang River grassland China

Nile Delta flooded savanna Egypt

Saharan halophyticsAlgeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Tunisia,Western Sahara

Tigris-Euphrates alluvial salt

marshIraq, Iran

Ussuri-Wusuli meadow and forestmeadow

China, Russia

Yellow Sea saline meadow China

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Palearctic Flooded grasslands and savannasn.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Paleartic_flooded_grasslands_and_savannas&action=edit)
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