- Sea-level rise and upstream damming have worsened saltwater intrusion in the Shatt al-Arab River, pushing brine deep into Iraq’s interior and threatening agriculture, fishing and marshland ecosystems.
- A mangrove-planting project has been launched as a nature-based solution to combat coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and pollution — threats that not only endanger Basra’s coastline but also the freshwater marshlands farther inland.
- Despite scientific backing and community support, the project faces significant obstacles like untreated sewage and industrial waste, while limited government support further hampers the project’s long-term viability and impact.
BASRA, Iraq — The air in Basra carries a strange weight: part saline mist from the nearby Persian Gulf and part acrid smoke from the towering oil refineries that loom over the southern horizon. Cracked riverbanks crumble into brackish water, where mangrove saplings now sprout in orderly rows. Their pale green leaves flutter under the weight of the sun, as if unsure whether they belong in this parched, toxic place.
Here, in one of Iraq’s most ecologically stressed regions, an unlikely green force is beginning to take root: mangroves (Avicennia marina). These hardy, salt-tolerant trees are being planted across tidal flats and riverbanks in a bold effort to slow coastal erosion, filter pollutants, and fight climate change. But the stakes stretch far beyond Basra’s shoreline: the health of Iraq’s southern marshlands, including the fragile Mesopotamian Marshes, may depend on the survival of these coastal trees.
“This project is about defending a disappearing ecosystem,” says Ayman Abdul Latif Al-Rubaye, head of the mangrove planting unit at the University of Basrah’s Marine Science Centre. “Mangroves are our frontline against salinity, pollution and coastal collapse.”
Covering 400 hectares (990 acres), the mangrove nursery in Khor Al-Zubair includes acclimation basins, seed pools, and a dedicated management facility. Supported by the U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) and local academic institutions, it’s capable of producing up to a million seedlings annually, with ambitions to restore 15,000 hectares (about 37,000 acres) of degraded coastline and marsh-connected estuaries.
But the project isn’t racing against just climate change — it’s also under siege from pollution. Tidal flows push pollutants upstream, affecting both the mangroves and the marshes.
“It’s not just salt that threatens the marshlands,” Al-Rubaye says. “It’s pollution — and that pollution starts here in Basra.”
The location for planting is strategic. The Shatt al-Arab River, formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, carries both freshwater and mounting threats from the Persian Gulf: most critically, saltwater intrusion. This creeping wave of brine, driven by sea-level rise and upstream damming, has already devastated Basra’s water supply and is now reaching deep into Iraq’s interior, poisoning the marshlands.
The Iraqi marshlands, often referred to as the “cradle of civilization,” are not only an ecological treasure but also a cultural heartland for the Marsh Arab communities who have lived here for millennia. These wetlands support rich biodiversity, including migratory birds and endemic species, and sustain traditional livelihoods. After being deliberately drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s as a form of political repression, the marshes have faced decades of degradation. After the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, partial restoration efforts led to limited recovery, with ongoing challenges, including upstream damming, pollution and climate change, continuing to threaten their survival.
According to research, seawater now penetrates the Shatt al-Arab at depths of up to 9 meters (30 feet), destabilizing the delicate balance between saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. The mangroves, planted along tidal flats and coastal rivers, are intended to stabilize sediments, block the inland flow of saline water, and improve overall water quality. They’re a nature-based solution that researchers say could protect the freshwater marshes upstream.
A 2024 policy analysis concluded that Basra’s oil sector also significantly contributes to Iraq’s water crisis, as industrial discharge and gas flaring worsen water and air quality. In some parts of Chibayesh, a town in the marshlands, salinity levels have reached 15,000 parts per million (the standard for freshwater is less than 1,000 ppm, and for seawater it’s 35,000 ppm), rendering the water undrinkable and toxic for agriculture and aquatic life.
“These problems are political,” Al-Rubaye says. “Refineries release toxins into the river. Sewage is dumped untreated. We’ve raised this with officials — they promise action, but progress is slow.”
Thick plumes of smoke curl into the sky from nearby oil refineries and cement plants, casting a gray haze over the project area, which is hemmed in on all sides by heavy industry. As a result, waterways are often contaminated with sewage, industrial waste and oil spills, all of which degrade soil and water quality. While Avicennia marina, also known as white mangrove, has shown resilience, long-term exposure to toxins remains a risk to both the trees and the broader ecosystem they aim to restore. Still, egrets, herons and glossy ibises are sometimes seen flying above the mangroves, a faint sign of ecological hope.
The benefits of restoring mangroves in southern Iraq potentially extend far beyond their immediate surroundings. By anchoring sediment with their dense root systems, mangroves help prevent coastal erosion, a serious threat in tidal zones where land loss is exacerbated by rising sea levels and upstream damming. Their canopy and submerged roots also create microhabitats for a wide range of species: various species of shrimp, mollusks, small fish and birds depend on mangrove ecosystems for food and shelter.
The trees also contribute powerfully to climate change mitigation. “Mangrove forests absorb much more carbon than other trees,” says Ahmed Albaaj from the WFP, which is working on the planting project with Basra’s local government and university and Iraq’s environment ministry.
Scientific studies confirm that mangroves sequester up to 50 times more carbon in their root systems than typical terrestrial plants. More importantly, they retain that carbon for long periods, locking it in the soil and helping to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Yet despite these benefits, the planting project is fraught with obstacles. Some are technical: the region’s dry, salty soil makes it difficult for the seedlings to take root.
“Survival rate depends on the area,” Albaaj says. “In some zones it’s about 40–45%, which is good considering local soil and water conditions.”
Planting efforts must also be timed precisely with tidal movements, and some shoreline areas are so muddy and soft that stepping out of boats becomes impossible. Then there’s the raw sewage that flows out here from the city, only 70% of which is served by a piped sewage network.
Volunteers working on the mangrove project describe it as a daily fight.
“Sometimes we see seedlings die,” says Dunia Safaa, a young agricultural engineer who, working two shifts last year, helped to lead the nursery training of up to 200 other volunteers. “We started small, but we made shifts, morning and evening, so people could come after school or work. It built a community.”
“When seedlings die, it hurts,” says Murtadha Hlail, another volunteer. “We think of them like our children. But we learn from each site. Some zones are too dry, some too polluted. It’s a process.”
The decline in fish populations has been one of the driving forces behind the project. “The population of fish species has already decreased,” Albaaj says, “making mangrove restoration even more critical.” Mangroves provide natural habitat for shrimp and fish, forming the foundation of coastal and estuarine food chains.
Mongabay encounters a 49-year-old local in a boat, who says he’s fished regularly since childhood. He describes how the water has changed over the years. “There used to be lots of fish in this area,” he says, showing a catch that according to him is reduced. “But now it’s much less, because of the pollution.”
Beyond coastal planting, local groups are experimenting with reed-based filtration systems to clean sewage using native plants. In the village of Al-Afra, a small-scale project supported by WFP filters water through naturally growing reeds, a process also observed in Basra as a similar, purely natural phenomenon.
Yet the situation in Chibayesh, once a stronghold of marsh culture, remains precarious. Studies show that as freshwater inflow declines, due to upstream dams and industrial overuse, groundwater salinity is rising, harming traditional livelihoods of buffalo herding, fishing, and date farming.
The hope is that coastal mangrove restoration, combined with better water governance and pollution control, can create a buffer zone, preserving the freshwater ecosystems farther inland.
But the Marine Science Centre faces a lack of government support and financial resources, limiting its ability to implement and sustain long-term restoration work. In addition, poor coordination between institutions slows decision-making and complicates project management. Climate variability, such as irregular rainfall and rising temperatures, further disrupts restoration efforts by affecting plant and animal resilience.
“Our biggest challenge,” Al-Rubaye says, “is the lack of political will. The science is there. The volunteers are here. What we need is support, and space to breathe.”
As evening falls along the coast, smoke from distant refinery flares reflects off the water. A group of volunteers rests on the muddy bank, boots caked in salt. In the shallows, some of the mangrove saplings bend with the current — alive, if fragile.
“It’s not easy,” Safaa says. “But every tree is a promise. A promise that this place can live again.”
Banner image: Ahmed Albaaj of the U.N. World Food Programme planting a mangrove in Basra. Image by Robert Bociaga.
Citations:
Al-Mahmood, H., & Mahmood, A. (2021). Effect of Karun River on the salinity status in the Shatt al-Arab River, Basrah – Iraq. Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences, 34(1), 13-26. doi:10.58629/mjms.v34i1.42
Fazaa, N. A., Dunn, J. C., & Whittingham, M. J. (2021). Pollution threatens water quality in the Central Marshes of Southern Iraq. Baghdad Science Journal, 18(4(Suppl.)), 1501-1513. doi:10.21123/bsj.2021.18.4(suppl.).1501
Abdullah, S. A., Kadhim, K. F., Ouda, Y. W., & Aziz, S. N. (2024). Ecological dynamics of Al-Chibayish marshes in southern Iraq: Insights into water quality, fish genetic affinity, and conservation implications. Heliyon, 10(14), e34332. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34332
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