More than half a million people once lived in southern Iraq's famous wetlands. When the Shiites rose up against Saddam Hussein in 1991, they took refuge there. The dictator ordered the draining of the marshes, robbing the Marsh Arabs of their livelihood and destroying a spectacularly rich ecosystem.
For more go to http://www.dw.de/reviving-the-marshlands-in-southern-iraq/a-18301544