With the support of the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, work began early February 2023 to implement the first phase of the Eden in Iraq WWG project, 10,000 sq. meters (2.5 acres) of our 29,500 sq. meter (7.3 acres) site.
This accomplishment is largely due to Jassim al-Asadi’s strong advocacy as the Managing Director of Nature Iraq, the country’s first environmental NGO, and the project’s in-country partner. His prominence as the leading advocate for the restoration and protection of the historic Southern Iraqi marshes has been highlighted by recent international news reports.
The work underway will create an open-water marshland where the pipe from the El Michri “switch (collection) plant” in El-Chibaish will be directed so that natural marsh vegetation, including reeds, will begin the transformation of the sewage. This will change the current deplorable situation where raw sewage from the switch plant is emptied into the marshes, polluting its waters.
Recognizing the increased importance of preventing sewage pollution of the marshes already under threat from a reduced water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which sustain the marshes, Water Resources H.E. Minister Aun Thiab Abdullah is providing hundreds of thousands of dollars for the machinery, engineering oversight and work required to realize the first phase of the treatment system. The next stage Wastewater Garden will do the secondary treatment and the final green zone using the treated water will complete the process of turning dangerous human waste into a beautiful public garden park with flowers and fruit trees.
Dr. Hydar Ali, the head of planning for the Centre for Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands and Wetlands (CRIMW) in the Ministry of Water Resources, is overseeing the engineering and construction. He has recently become Iraqi Project Manager for the entire Eden in Iraq Project.
We are expecting this first phase to be completed by the end of March 2023. Fund-raising for the rest of the project costs is ongoing with the help of our Impact Partner Blue Tech Research LLC in Vancouver and Ireland.
Wastewater Garden & Cultural Heritage Project in Southern Iraq
The image below shows the pipe delivering sewage to our first pre-treatment basin where marsh plants begin the natural process of cleaning the water at the project site El Chibaish. Previously this raw sewage was being pumped into the Euphrates River and nearby marshes, endangering human and environmental health.
A total of $2.5 million dollars are needed to realize this demonstration project of a technology that can be applied throughout the Persian Gulf. The Center for Restoration of Iraqi Marshes and Wetlands (CRIMW), within the Ministry of Water Resources, has provided a site and worked with our team to create engineering plans for the 2.65 hectare (6.5 acre) project.
The Eden in Iraq Wastewater Garden Team shown below standing on the pipe.
L-R: Jassim al-Asadi, Dr. Davide Tocchetto and Thomas Smith.
