
Latest News
This page features the latest news and articles on the Tigris-Euphrates basin. For a list of Save the Tigris activities, please click here.

Law Enforcement in the Iraqi Marshes: How Local Campaigners Are Working to Protect the Marshlands’ Biodiversity
The Central Marshes of Chibayish, located in Dhi Qar Governorate, Southern Iraq, suffer from great neglect at all levels despite being a World Heritage Site. Successive Iraq governments…

Reply From UNESCO World Heritage Center to Save the Tigris on Ashur, the Ahwar and Makhoul Dam
10 June 2021 Ref.: CLT/WHC/ARB/303/21/28 Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to thank you for your letter of 19 May 2021, in which you have shared your concerns about…

In Iraq’s Iconic Marshlands, a Quest for Endangered Otters
This article was originally published by Associated Press on 28 May 2021. The original can be found here. By Samya Kullab CHIBAYISH, Iraq — “Don’t move a muscle.”…

Message from Save the Tigris on World Environment Day
World Environment Day, 5 June, represents a global opportunity to tackle global, transboundary, and local environmental issues. It is an occasion for millions around the world to both…

Iraq Faces Harsh Summer of Water Shortages as Turkey and Iran Continue Dam Projects
This article was originally published by The National on 25 May 2021. The original can be found here. By Sinan Mahmoud and Robert Tollast Millions of Iraqis face an intolerably…

Letter From Save the Tigris to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on Ashur, the Ahwar, and Makhoul Dam: Civil Society Concerns and Requests
The Government of Iraq has reinitiated work to expand Makhoul Dam which threatens the Ashur and Ahwar World Heritage Properties and over one hundred cultural and archaeological sites…

Climate Shifts and Rising Demand Leave Turkey Battling Growing Water Stress
by Jennifer Hattam | @TheTurkishLife | Thomson Reuters Foundation Monday, 10 May 2021 Original article here. Population growth, urbanisation, climate change and – critics say – poor water…

Current Reality of Iranian Water Policies: A Q&A Seminar
On 1 May 2021, Save the Tigris held an online seminar in which members of the People’s Campaign to Save the Kind Zagros of Iran, a long-time supporter…

Catastrophic Decline of Euphrates River Water Level
Under hashtag #الفرات_ينحسر (the Euphrates declines), Syrians have been sharing photos of the water level of the Euphrates river on social media, showing how parts in along the…

How Iraq’s Race for Water Security Impacts Cultural Heritage and Environment
By Harry Istepanian and Noam Raydan Iraq Energy, 5 May 2021 Iraq is pressing ahead with a controversial dam project that threatens to flood the remains of the…

Letter From Save the Tigris to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on Fourth State of Conservation Report by the State Party of Iraq on the Ahwar: Civil Society Concerns and Requests
In 2016, the Iraqi Marshes were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Ahwar. Each year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee reviews reports on…

Call to Stop Dam Construction and Inter-Basin Water Transfer Projects to Save Local Communities and Preserve Ecosystems
Statement on the International Day of Action Against Water Transfer, “Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Day” By People’s Campaign to Save the Kind Zagros, Iran, 17 April 2021 (28 Farvardin…