The Italian-based humanitarian organization Un Ponte Per (UPP) on July 15 launched an ambitious two-year project in southern Iraq, funded by the United Nations Development Program and dubbed Sumerian, which aims to promote economic growth and preserve cultural heritage in the Ahwar of Southern Iraq in Dhi Qar Governorate, in partnership with a group of non-governmental organizations, namely Humat Dijlah (Tigris Protectors), Safina Projects and Carlo Leopardi Studio.

The Ahwar are marshlands made up of bodies of water located in southern Iraq and are divided into three main sections: the Hawizeh Marshes, the Hammar Marshes and the Central Marshes, whose water areas change from year to year according to the amount of water coming in from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. For over 5,000 years, Ahwar inhabitants have relied on the marshes for fishing, hunting birds and ducks, cultivating rice and raising animals.

The head of the EU mission in Iraq, Martin Hath, said on Aug. 26, “Launching the Sumerian project represents the EU’s approach to support Iraq by merging sustainable economic and social development with preserving the environment.”

On July 17, 2016, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee agreed to place the Ahwar on its World Heritage List as an international nature reserve, on the condition that excesses be removed, the return of indigenous people be facilitated and tourism development is achieved. However, these conditions are yet to be met and the population still suffers from poverty and the lack of job opportunities, which forced them to sell their buffalo at low prices, as they are unable to sell the milk. Raising these animals has become even harder amid the COVID-19 pandemic.