Iraq fears famed marshes could be pulled from World Heritage List
Amid serious concern about the violations against Iraq’s marshes, it is possible the marshes will be removed from the World Heritage List.
The Iraqi government is committed to keeping the Mesopotamian Marshes on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located in the southern part of the country, the marshes were added to UNESCO's list in July 2016. Previously listed Iraqi World Heritage sites are the city of Ashur, the city of Hatra, the Erbil Citadel and the city of Samarra.
Although the Iraqi parliament voted to put an end to encroachments against the marshes May 14, many fear the possibility of Iraq's losing its position on the World Heritage List and being denied the international recognition that would have been of great benefit for the country, especially since previously agreed-upon service and construction programs were not established.
