Despite the continuing violence in southern Iraq, international efforts are being made to restore what were once the largest wetlands in the 'Middle East.'
"Stretches of the former wetlands--said to have inspired the biblical story of Eden--are refilling, thanks to heavy rains earlier this year and to U.S. Army scientists and eager locals who opened floodgates and barrages....Throughout the former marshes, soils are heavily contaminated with salts and pesticides, wildlife has vanished, and native plants have given way to weedy invaders....And since the war, Iraq's many pressing needs, from security to reliable electricity, have stolen the spotlight from the marshes. Despite continuing violence in southern Iraq, groups are beginning to venture in to assess conditions on the ground."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Water world

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
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Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
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