Hussam al-Aqouli remembers the exact spot along southern Iraq's Lake Sawa where his two daughters once dipped their feet into clear waters. Now he stands there two years on and the barren earth cracks beneath him.
Between the capital Baghdad and the oil-rich heartland of Basra, Muthanna is among Iraq's poorest provinces. The number of those living under the poverty line in the province is almost three times the national average. The lake's rich mineral deposits are also considered a cure by some for skin diseases prevalent in historically neglected Muthanna.
“The degradation of the water began over 10 years ago, but this summer was the first time we lost the entire wetland,” said Laith Ali al-Obeidi, an environmental activist in southern Iraq. Mounds of salt line the road to the river in Muthanna province and are overseen by enterprising locals who extract it by diverting groundwater and digging wells. The salt is used as a raw material in various industries in the area.
And the future is poised to bring more hardship, with alarming predictions of more water stress. The Water Resources Ministry has said water levels decreased by 60% compared to last year in 2022.But the lake is also a ghost of its former illustrious past.
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For all you Christian’s just a reminder to be ready this is what you have been praying for no crying it’s the reward