{"product_id":"the-ghosts-of-iraqs-marshes-a-history-of-conflict-tragedy-and-restoration-9781649033253","title":"The Ghosts of Iraq's Marshes: A History of Conflict, Tragedy, and Restoration","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe gripping history of the devastation and resurrection of the Marshes of Iraq, an environmental treasure of the Middle East, now a protected site\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq, once the largest wetland system on the planet, have been inhabited for thousands of years by the Ma'dan, or Marsh Arabs, but they remain remote, isolated, and virtually unknown. In the early 1990s, the Saddam Hussein regime drained the Marshes and set out to destroy not only a critical ecosystem but a unique way of life as well. It stands as one of the greatest environmental and humanitarian disasters of the twentieth century. In the wake of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, local residents destroyed the earthen dams built to divert water from the wetlands and the Marshes were reflooded. Their future, however, is in peril. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Ghosts of Iraq's Marshes \u003c\/i\u003etells the history of the creation, destruction, and revitalization of the Marshes and their inhabitants against the backdrop of the dramatic events that have convulsed Iraq in the past fifty years. It follows the life of Jassim al-Asadi, an irrigation engineer who was jailed and tortured under Saddam Hussein and who subsequently dedicated his life to the reflooding and restoration of the Marshes. He eventually contributed to the Marshes being declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Jassim is eminently relatable, and the stories of his life and other marsh dwellers are infused with pathos, tragedy, humor, and passion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteve Lonergan\u003c\/b\u003e is professor emeritus in the Department of Geography, at the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, and former director of the Science Division at the United Nations Environment Programme. From 2006 to 2010, he led the Canadian-Iraq Marshlands Initiative, funded by the Canadian government. His books include \u003ci\u003eWatershed: The Role of Fresh Water in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict\u003c\/i\u003e (with David B. Brooks, 1994). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eJassim Al-Asadi\u003c\/b\u003e is an Iraqi engineer and environmental activist who was born in the marshes of southern Iraq. He played a pivotal role in the registration of the Marshes as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Contributing author \u003cb\u003eKeith Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e is a geospatial scientist at the Hakai Institute in Victoria, BC, Canada. He is one of the authors of \u003ci\u003eThe Atlas of the Iraqi Marshes\u003c\/i\u003e, published by the Canadian-Iraq Marshlands Initiative.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"American University in Cairo Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50498259812626,"sku":"9781649033253","price":47.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1a138cff-f51f-410a-9bd4-14f9ccedb85f.jpg?v=1730729910","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-ghosts-of-iraqs-marshes-a-history-of-conflict-tragedy-and-restoration-9781649033253","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}