Recovering the Mesopotamian Marshes

Course: Geographic Information System, Columbia University, 2018.
In collaboration with Ban Edilbi.

Through manipulation of dams along Tigris and Euphrates rivers, can we recover the wetlands lost in the Mesopotamian Marshes?

The research and mapping scope of this project aims to speculate the possibility of recovering the Mesopotamian Marshes through studying the wetland loss from 1990 to 2017 and identifying the locations of the dams along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The scope also aims to understand the current hydrological system that feeds the marshes which will help in proposing solutions and alternative methods of generating hydroelectricity.

Recommendations and Conclusions:
By manipulating the dams and restoring the lost volume of water, the Mesopotamian Marshes will be recovered at a faster rate. Existing hydroelectric dams can release 30% of the water that is currently stored in the reservoirs in order to provide the study rates while also producing enough electricity. Through observing the relationship between the flow of water and the electricity produced, one can tell that the relationship is linear. To provide a solution to meet the electricity demand, we are proposing to introduce solar farms into the area since Iraq has more than 3200 hours of sun per year. While one MW would require 9290 m2 of land, this would require a large area to provide the required electricity production. However, to further support this research, more material would be included, such as observing urbanization trends and flood zones.