Iraqi artist writes huge ‘save the marshes’ to be read from sky
‘Save the marshes’ sentence written in Kufic Arabic calligraphy in a 2000-meter area using reed material by the Iraqi artist Basem Mahdi. Photo: Russia Today
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi artist, Basem Mahdi, wrote two square kilometer ‘save the marshes’ sentence in an attempt to shed light on the drought hitting the marshlands in southern Iraq.
Mahdi wrote the two square kilometer sentence in the marshlands of Al-Chibayish District in Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq.
The Al-Chibayish marshes is one of the most famous marshes in Iraq which suffers from a great drought due to the lack of water flow.
The sentence was written in Kufic Arabic calligraphy in a 2000-meter area using reed material to be read from the sky.
The planning for this work of art took 30 days with no assistance from any governmental or non-governmental body, while the implementation was for almost a whole day.
A local official in Dhi Qar governorate spoke last week about alarming animal mortality rates caused by the drought hitting the marshlands.
Members of the Iraqi Parliament from Dhi Qar governorate considered the marshlands drought-stricken.
Director of Dhi Qar Agriculture Directorate, Saleh Hadi, mentioned last week that 2053 deaths were recorded among the buffalos in three areas in the marshlands, and expected that mortality rates will rise after checking other areas in the marshlands.
Hadi indicated that the drought also caused the death of more than 95 percent of the fisheries.
“2000 officially registered fishermen have lost their source of income and are now unemployed,” Hadi stated.
“Although the marshlands were listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July 2016, some officials did not bear their responsibilities towards this natural site,” Member of Parliament Hassan Al-Asadi said in a press conference.
Al-Asadi added that officials ignored the recommendations of the fortieth conference of UNESCO to provide the minimum amount of water for the marshes of southern Iraq to sustain the ecosystem.
In August, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq held a meeting entitled ‘Our Marshes, Our lives’ to discuss the water crisis in the Iraqi Marshes and ways to assist farmers and buffalo breeders.
Through the European Union’s support, FAO is working closely with the local authorities to support the most affected people in the southern region of Iraq from water scarcity and the impact of climate change threatening their lives and livelihoods, according to a press statement issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).