Mesopotamian Marsh Restoration

Hima Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Last night, Hima Mesopotamia had its first fundraiser at the Kiwanis Family House in Sacramento, California. Over 48 people attended the talk by Dr. Nadia Fawzi on her life and lives of Iraqi's in southern Iraq. We were particularly delighted to have a large number of Iraqi's present. I learned last night that over 2,000 refuges have been relocated in the Sacramento area. Two men from the group Mesopotamia invited me to meet with them, to come to their homes, to listen to their stories.
Dr. Nadia Fawzi, guest speaker, Basrah Marine Science Center, Basrah, Iraq

Hima Mesopotamia is about telling people's stories. It is remarkably healing for a dispossessed people to have their stories told within the context of their culture, the land they come from, and their ancestors. We started out the evening with a movie featuring Dr. Azzam Alwash, Nature Iraq, and the Marsh Arabs. My favorite part of the movie is watching a small child rolling around and hugging a large water buffalo, as we in America might have our children playing and wrestling with a family pet dog. The mashoofs or boats on the water, the mudheif or guest house constructed of reeds, the remarkably buccaulic and tranquil floating islands of reeds. A hard life and a good life. When I think of Iraq before Saddam's reign of terror, I think of people living a subsistence life style on the marshes, entertaining guests lavishly, punishing enemies with a vengeance. Iraq also had an intellectual elite, with some of the finest colleges and best educated students in the world. Ramzi told us they had a final exam of advanced calculus, physics, physical chemistry, biology, arabic and english. The top scores, of whatever background or sex, went to the best Universities. I have been told that some biologists became biolotists because they couldn't pass the test high enough to become doctors or engineers. In Iraq, there were a lot of well educated and well paid women engineers and doctors before the wars.

Its sad how a tyrant, and those who allow a tyrant power, can destroy a world. The war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980's caused a huge debt, the loss of millions of lives, destruction of the border lands along the Shat al Arab. Saddam's incursion into Kuwait coast the country a great deal of lives, riches and the bad will of the international community. After the US invaded Iraq, the country is stumbling its way toward democracy. Nadia pointed out the Democracy did not arise organically from the people, the young, the inspired. It was imposed from the top down. What does Middle Eastern Democracy look like? I don't know.

I digress. Last night Nadia Fawzi gave a wonderful talk, sharing from her own life. She said she and her husband and four children moved to Yemen with almost nothing in their pockets, and were able to obtain jobs. Then they moved to New Zealand. Now her husband is in Saudi Arabia and her children are in both countries. Moving back to Basrah must have taken a great deal of passion, conviction and courage. Now the Marine Science Center scientists are going into the marshes and talking to the marsh arabs, finding what they need, and how their lives are. After three decades of war, hope is the greatest casualty. Without water, jobs, education, viable transportation to and from communities, healthy water buffaloes, gardens, or adequate fish, life is tough. There are high rates of infant mortality and birth defects from contaminated water and inadequate hygiene and waste disposal.

We had many students, members of the communities, and Iraqi's at the talk and good dinner and desert. To me this was a basket start, a beginning of creating a network where we can listen, we can hear the stories and tell them, and we can find a way to help. One thing we can keep alive is the knowledge that a healthy ecosystem is essential to keep functional and viable for a healthy human population.

Hima sponsored talks by Dr. Nadia Fawzi at CSU Sacramento

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:44:00 +0000


Dr. Nadia Fawzi, Marine Science Center, Raida Fahmi, and Dr. Michelle Stevens

Guest Nadia Fawzi and Hima Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Next week Hima Mesopotamia is sponsoring visiting researcher Dr. Nadia al-Mudaffer Fawzi, Assistant Professor of Marine and Enviornmental Pollution, Marine Chemistry Department, Marine Science Center, University of Basrah, Iraq. The fundraiser will be Friday, September 9th, from 6:00-10:00 pm. The talk will be "The Desertification of Eden: Stories from the Marsh Arabs" and a film on the Marsh Arabs. We will serve light middle eastern food. Suggested donations: $15.00 adults, $10.00 students, children free.

The location is the Kiwanis Family House, 2875 50th ST, Sacramento, CA. For reservations email michelle@hima-mesopotamia.org or view our web site at www.hima-mesopotamia.org.

Other events this week include:
* Tuesday September 6th, Geology Department Colloquium from 4:30-6:00 in Mendocino Hall, Room 1015, CSU Sacramento Campus
* Wed September 7th, Environmental Studies Department and SSIS "Marsh Arabs and the Environmental Changes in Southern Iraq Marshes", Mendocino Hall, Room 1015
*Monday Sept 12th, STEM Faculty Forumj "Impacts of Environmental Change: The Life and REalities of Iraqi Women and Children in the Mesopotamian Marshes, presented by the Center for STEM Excellence, Sequoia Hall, Room 317.

Second Symposium

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Special Session 2: Restoring Mesopotamia: Socio-economic Aspects of Cultural and Ecological Restoration

Abstract

The Mesopotamian Marshes are a culturalized landscape, consisting of a reciprocal relationship formed over thousands of years between Marsh Arab cultures and the marshes through both agriculture and traditional resource management. This panel will document the difficulties of those who returned to the marshes, hoping to regain their traditional lifestyle, as well as those who choose to or are forced to live in the cities. With their marsh homeland disappearing into a salt-encrusted wasteland, the Marsh Arabs are once again a people dispossessed. The Ma’dan are now becoming urban refugee squatting on lands they do not have ownership or rights to, attempting to eke out an existence with their water buffalo. Water buffalo represent both an umbrella species and a cultural icon; they are the main source of livelihood of people in the marshes, and are indicators of marsh health. Marsh Arabs face huge difficulties from loss of culture, dire health and educational situation, and loss of traditions. They are facing a very difficult situation with many of the young want to stay in the city, yet have no access to health, education, work opportunities, or the luxury of electricity or television. Because they are uneducated they are working in low wages and putting the major cities under pressure draining the already scarce resources. The fragility and vulnerability of the vast marsh ecosystem is also jeopardized by a lack of equitable riparian water rights from upstream users in the Tigris Euphrates watershed. The dislocated Marsh Arabs are environmental refugees.

Dr. Michelle Stevens and Dr. Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, Panel Moderators

Speakers

Michelle Stevens. “Eco-cultural restoration baseline: Traditional Resource Management of Marsh Arabs in the Mesopotamian Marshes”. Executive Director, Hima Mesopotamia.

Khalid al-Fartosi. Presentation given by Monica Dean. “Water Buffalo: Cultural icon of Marsh Arabs and umbrella species indicating health of the marshes ” Prof. Dr. Khalid Al-Fartosi, Biology Department / College of Science, University of Thi-Qar / Iraq. E-mail: khalidalfartosi@yahoo.com

Tova Fleming "Breaking the silence: Finding hope in Mesopotamia"

Nadir Salman. Presentation given by Michelle Stevens. “Socioeconomic Status of People Inhabiting the Southern Marshes of Iraq” Marine Science Center, Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq. Email: nadirabd@yahoo.com

Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, Kadhmia M.W. Al-Ghezzy, Luma Al-Anber - Co-Facilitator of Special Session Panel, “Marsh Arabs and the Environmental Changes in Southern Iraqi Marshes (To Return or not to Return: That is the Question)” Marine Chemistry Department,Marine Science Center, Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq. Email: nadia.fawzi@clear.net.nz

symposium 2 at SERI conference

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Dr. Nadia Fawzi, Basrah Marine Science Center, Tova Fleming and Monica Dean. Merida, Mexico. August 2011.

Society of Ecological Restoration Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:32:00 +0000

We were very successful in our two symposia at the Society of Ecological Restoration in Merida, Mexico. There were over 1,000 people attending the conference from 70 countries. Dr. Nadia Fawzi from the Basrah Marine Science Center, Tova Fleming and Monica Dean participated in the symposia. We had several cancellations due to lack of funds or ability to travel to Mexico, so we gave their presentations for the missing scientists. The first symposium was taking a watershed approach to the Tigris Euphrates watershed.

Symposium 1

Water and Peace: A holistic perspective on the ecological and cultural restoration of the Tigris Euphrates watershed.

Abstract The Tigris and Euphrates River Basin is vulnerable due to water scarcity (exacerbated by climate change), inequitable sharing of water rights, and high risk of desertification. Participants representing Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait will discuss the scarcity of water, upstream dam construction, and long term implications for sustaining ecosystem health and cultural integrity. The future trajectory appears catastrophic throughout the watershed: devastating ecological and social impacts are occurring which jeopardize regional stability. With at least 26 large dams under construction or planned in the Tigris River in Turkey, there is cause for alarm and immediate action is needed to assess cumulative impacts and to mitigate the loss of species and habitats, as well as basin-wide socioeconomic impacts. With good water years since 2003, approximately 58% of marshes had been rejuvenated, and people had returned to their lives in the marshes. Unfortunately, past water years and upstream water diversions have resulted in severe drought, and now the Mesopotamian Marshes are drying up. Water levels continue to drop; marshes recede; salinities increase; and the fish, reeds and water buffalo that embody the marshes are dying. With low flows, salinity in the Shat al Arab has increased from salinity levels of 1 ppt to 9-13 ppt. Low flows and impaired water quality is adversely affecting fish production and biodiversity in the Shat al Arab and northern Gulf. Loss of fisheries alone will have adverse impacts on local populations. An international system of basin planning and equitable allocation of water rights is urgently needed.

Speakers

Michelle Stevens and Dicle Tubaq Kilic, Doga Dernegi, Turkey. “Impacts on nature and culture of dam construction in Turkey on the Tigris River Watershed”.

Nadia Fawzi and H.T. al-Saad, “Examining the Condition of Iraq’s waterways and their impact on the water quality of the north western Arabian Gulf”

Faiza al Yamani, Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR), presented by Nadia Fawzi, “Impacts of reduced flows and impaired water quality in the Shat al Arab to fish productivity, biodiversity and socio-economics in the Northern Gulf”

Nature Iraq. Movie on the Marsh Arabs and Azzam Alwash.

Merida, Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Yesterday Chris Oshiro and I visited Merida. I was here in the 1970's as a very young woman, camping on the beaches and taking cheap buses with a friend. It was very rural, the town was very small. In the mid 1990's, the town was growing, a lot of fast food chains and Walmart arrived, it was dirty and crowded and disappointing. This visit reveals a beautiful city, clean, beautiful old building built in the early 1900's in French, Moorish and Spanish architecture, renovated and colorful. The streets are wide, clean, and beautiful. It feels safe, and people seem very friendly. We went to the Anthropology museum, to see beautiful stone statues and remains from the Mayan culture. We decided to go to Chichen Itza on Tuesday to see the massive stone city ourselves. The historic part of the museum was sad, with pictures of firing squads and soldiers dead in battle. I think in Mexico the Indian populations are still not treated with due respect, other than in reminders of ancient cities and ruins. The living Indios, the Mayans, tend to not be treated with due respect, nor their living cultures celebrated as much as they deserve. Our tour bus driver also told us this is so.

It bothers me to see the bones of the dead on display. I blessed them. If reincarnation is true, someone may be alive today whose bones are stores in a museum exhibit. Even so, their ritual funeral and burial was not meant to be on display in some day in the future. I'm glad archaeology has evolved to not be so barbaric and disrespectful as it once was.

We went to Katun for dinner, serving Yucatecan food. We had sopa de lima and a Yucatan fish served in banana leaves. Great corn tortillas, home made! It's easy to spend a lot of money on good food!

Wildlife: boattailed grackels, really noicy! Royal palms lining the fancy estates. Ceiba tree, sacred, beautiful, emense, great presence.

More adventures today, and preparation for the conference.

Symposia on dam construction and water conditions in Tigris Euphrates

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Our second symposia is "Water and Peace: Creating a holistic perspective on the ecological and cultural restoration of the Tigris Euphrates watershed." on the water conditions in the Tigris Euphrates. Most of our invited symposia attendees could not come and sent presentations. Dicle Tubaz Kulic, Doga Dernegi, Turkey, could not attend due to lack of funds. She will be sending a presentation on the desperate condition of people on the Tigris River from dam construction (see information below). Dr. Faiza al Yamani, scientist at the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research, was unable to attend and sent a powerpoint on conditions in the Kuwait. A port is proposed which will severely damage the area around Bubyon Island, a key production areas for fish and macro-invertebrates for the Gulf and Mesopotamian Marshes. We will include information on the Mesopotamian Marshes by Nature Iraq by showing a movie on the marshes. Nadia Fawzi will give an overview of the watershed. Unfortunately, only one of the guest speakers was able to attend.

It has been very frustrating, as the last UNESCO Conference in Basrah, Iraq, did not consider the boundary conditions of the water coming into the country via the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Another branch of UNESCO (United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) voiced its deep concerns about the construction of Ilusu dam as well as approximately 2,000 additional dam projects proposed in Turkey. The Committee released a report in May 2011 urging the Turkish government to review its legislative policies on evictions, resettlement, and compensation. Communities in Southeastern Turkey, primarily Kurdish, have been evicted from their homes receiving token compensation; they
have been settled in villages with no hope and no future.
The Ilusu dam on the Tigris River in Southeast Turkey will affect up to 78,000 mainly Kurdish people in Turkey and many thousands more downstream in Iraq. Almost half of the affected villagers and further affected 30.000 nomads have no land or land titles. The affected people face a future in extreme poverty, the loss of their livelihoods and history, and the disruption of their
village and family structures.

Additionally, Ilusu dam and other HEPP projects will have major environmental impacts resulting in irreversible conversion and degradation of critical natural habitats on the Tigris River. It will inundate 400 km of riverine ecosystem hosting dozens of threatened species, 300 archaeological sites and the 12,000- year- old town of Hasankeyf. Priority Areas for bio-diversity
forming a single integral ecosystem lie along the Tigris River between the Devegeçidi River and the international frontier with Syria and Iraq. This is, as yet, an unaltered stretch of river and, despite dams further down- and upstream, it still has a full complement of riverine habitats and, all importantly, variable water levels and seasonal flows, according to Aysegul Ozpinar, Organizer of the Great March of Anatolia, a protest march from Hasenkeyf to Ankara. For several weeks, activists and dam affected people from all parts of the country marched towards the capital to demonstrate against the destruction of nature in Anatolia.“The right to a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We will not cease to resist the complete destruction of our waters which the government currently pushes for”.

Chapter on Eco-Cutlural Restoration of Mesopotamian Marshes publishes

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Our book and an article by Tova Fleming will be out in early Sept!! "Michelle Stevens with Dr. Hamid K. Ahmed, 2011, Chapter 20: Eco-cultural Restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshes,
Southern Iraq, In Dave Egan, Evan Hjerpe, and Jesse Abrams
(editors). Integrating Nature and Culture: Exploring the Human
Dimensions of Ecological Restoration. Island Press" (In Press,
scheduled publication August 2011)

Tova Fleming and Michelle Stevens, August 2011, Ending the
Silence: Ecocide and Renewal in Iraq’s Marshlands. Earth First!
Journal (In press)

Society of Ecological Restoration in Merida Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:24:00 +0000

We have arrived in Merida, Mexico. The first week is vacation, the next is the conference where we have two symposia on the Mesopotamian Marshes. Dr. Nadia Fawzi, University of Basrah Marine Science Center, and I are co-facilitating two symposia. Unfortunately, our invited speakers and proposed two symposia. One is on the socioeconomics of the marshes, discussing the Marsh Arab culture, prospects for restoration, and the disabling lack of water and loss of livelihood now occurring in the marshes. For this symposia, Dr. al Fartosi, Iraqi expert on water buffalo, was unable to attend. He sent pictures and text, and Monica Dean and David Kelly helped prepare the powerpoint. Water buffalo are cultural icons to the indigenous marsh arab culture, as well as integral sources of livelihood in modern Iraq. Without water in the marshes, the reeds die, the villages are dusty, and conditions deteriorate rapidly. Talks by Dr. Nadir Salman and Dr. Nadia Fawzi show the people in the marshes suffer from poor health, inadequate sweet, clean water, high unemployment (including inability to support themselves through subsistence economies), and poor education especially for women. I will give the presentation for Dr. Nadir, who was unable to come.

Updated July 2011 newletter and web site

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:23:00 +0000

We just published our July 2011 newsletter, and are updating our web site at www.hima-mesopotamia.org. Please visit our HIMA web site and get the latest updates on the Mesopotamian Marshes and Tigris Euphrates watershed.

Doga Dernegi Protest of Ilusu Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:29:00 +0000

The "Fidelity to Hasenkeyf" trip which was organized for the third time by Doga Dernegi and Atlas Magazine between August 28-30 to attempt to save Hakenkeyf, has been completed with the participation of Son Irmak doga Orchestra and 150 volunteers. The Som Irmak Doga Orchestra gave concerts in Hasentkeyf to support local people's struggle in the region, which is set to be flooded once the Ilusu Dam comes online. This ancient city is located along the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey and has roots going back at least 10,000 years. It is one of the oldest still inhabited towns of mankind and is the only place in the world that meets nine out of 10 criteria to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to many respected scientists. About 300 archaeological sites surrounding Hasenkeyf in th Tigris Valley give further evidence of our common human civilization from prehistoric times onwards.

The Tigris river ecosystems are largely intact with many endemic and globally threatened species. It has an outstanding importance for biodiversity in the world. It is the only natural river and canyon system remaining in Turkey. The importance of this river system for the natural habitats and threatened species is very significant, as can be attested by the existence of 5 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) along its boundaries of international importance for the conservation of nature: the bismil Plain, Tigris Valley, Kupeli MOuntain, Euh Mountains, Cizre and Silopi KBA. However, 400 square kilometers of intact riverine habitat along tyhe Tigris River and its tributaries including Hasenkeyf are threatened by the Ilusu Dam project, which will destroy the globally important natural and cultural heritage embedded in the Tigris Valley.

Doga Dernegi has been a leading campaign against the Ilusu dam and hyropower project due to this urgent need of action to protect the outstanding natural and cutlural values of this region.

For More Information: Mr. Engin Yilmaz, Policy Coordinator, Doga Dernegi, Turkey

engin.yilmaz@dogadernegi.org

Tel: 00 90 312 4812545/ 00 90 549 8602766

Fehime Ozman, August 27, 2010, Observations about Hasankeyf

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Fehime Ozmen (Fama) at a Assyrian Christian community. "I'm now more than 2 weeks in Hasankeyf. Right now the people here are fasting because of Ramazan. That means they neither drink nor eat nor smoke from sunrise to sunset for a whole month and on days above 46 degrees C (120 degrees F)".

Children at Hasenkeyf - concerned for their future. "Hasankeyf seems very abandoned because on the one hand only very few people still live here (3000 people left); ...the way to the castle and restaurants by the river are closed, because several weeks ago a rock fell down from the cliffs. Since then its FORBIDDEN to travel to the castle or go to the restaurant (see pictures of us sitting with our feet in the river and in the castle at said FORBIDDEN locations). This prohibition is very difficult for the people in Hasankeyf, because of this closing down the tourists don't come and the people can't make an income. For these reasons the people feel leached out and left alone here".

Family members in Cizre.

Hama in Hasenkeyf with feet in the Tigris River at the FORBIDDEN restaurant, smiling at Michelle her friend and drinking tea. "For more than 50 years the people of Hasenkeyf have had to deal with the Ilusu dam project. Many NGOs and journalists come always with the promise to help, but they always come and go without changing something for continuance. And if someone always listens to the same promises year by year but nothing gets changed, they will get used to false promises and lose all hopes and belief. It seems to me that the people live on stagnation, they have neither hope nor hope for the future. To prevent the construction of the Ilusu Dam the resistance must come from the people who live here but they have no more strength. They are waiting for the Ilusu Dam to be built so that the years of ".

The Turkish government makes the people empty promises. One of their arguments is that the poople in the region will benefit from energy and water production from Ilusu Dam. But it has been shown already with the dams on the Euphrates River, that nothing has come from the energy and water produced by the dam to the people of the south-eastern Anatolian region of Turkey; instead, resources flow to western Turkey in the populated urban areas. Nothing good has come to the people living in the region, especially the poor people. The population lives with dry and salty soil, or their homes and fields and mosques flooded under reservoirs behind dams. The habitat of species alive in the river will gradually be destroyed. This is a very lousy policy from the Turkish government who try to seek the approval of a majority of the Kurdish population. The whole of Kurdistan lives in backwardness and it looks like a world from a century ago. The Turkish state is not willing to invest here economically nor socially. The government is trying to leach out the region completely. To prevent this destruction, the Turkish government must perceive that it's hurt only himself with this approach. I believe it will take much time until they realize this, unfortunately."

NPR Insight August 25

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:08:00 +0000

Today I was on Capital Public Radio for 8/25 with Insight and Jeffrey Callihan. "Mideast Dam. A Sacramento State professor has been doing research in Turkey on the Ilusu Dam and headwaters of the Tigres and Euphrates Rivers. The dam has potential to cause great problems and conflict in that region and we'll find out why." http://www.capradio.org/programs/programdetail.aspx?showid=8233

I didn't get the whole story told, about Doga Dernegi and citizen activism etc. Ah, well! Needed to be more concise, as always. LOL

NPR Wed Aug 25 10:00 or 10:30

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:33:00 +0000

I'll be on Insight on NPR with Jeffrey Callison tomorrow August 25 from 10:00-11:00 on FM 88.9 or 90.9. Tune in for information on my journey to Turkey!

Thank you to Doga Dernegi

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:56:00 +0000

Tigris River at Cizre. Muyettin, Fama, Mellisa and Omar

Marissa, Muyettin and Fama at castle above Hasankeyf

Ferdi, Professor, Muyettin at restaurant

Turan, DD Representative and exception photographer for Euphrates River at Bierecek

Mustaffa and Hassan, Bald Ibis Sanctuary, DD

Last Day in Hasenkeyf

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:41:00 +0000

Last photo in Hasenkeyf: After swimming in the Tigris River, then hiking to the hot dusty cliffs of the castle, we sat in chairs in the river and shade where it was cool and drank Turkish tea. What a great way to end the day! What a great trip. I am deeply indebted to Doga Dernegi and the staff who made this such a fantastic, magical and heart breaking journey. Special thanks to Ferdi, Muyettin, Turan, Omar, Fama, Marissa, Digle, Engin, Mustaffa, Hassan, Urich Eichelmann, and Guven Eken for the friendship, hospitality and sharing their hearts and minds. I want to particular acknowledge travelling during Rameden. Last night on the way to the airport, at 7:19 Muyettin and Omar could finally eat and drink after a very hot hot day. Muyettin asked me if I knew what that first drink of water meant to him, and I think this is correct. "You are doing a give away to the Creator/ Allah for all the blessings he gives you. You are doing your spiritual practice, and remembering all those in the world who have no food or water. When you drink now, after not drinking all day, it is the very best drink of water in the whole world. You are reminded what a gift water is." This seems a core lesson for my travels on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Firat and Digle Nehri. Water is life. Let us care for it, bless it, honor it, and protect it, for these source mother rivers run in our veins, run in our ancestry, and are our future.

Tigris River. Digle Nehri.

Hasenkeyf from the castle. If Ilusu Dam is constructed, this ancient city will be flooded, and all the people become environmental refugees.

The castel, in the cliffs above Hasenkeyf.

The beautiful Tigris River.

Cizre border wetland and Turkish Army

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:29:00 +0000

This wetland is near Cizre and on the Turkey, Iraq and Syrian borders in Kurdish ancestral and cultural lands. You can see that all of the hillsides around this area have been burned by the Turkish army. At the park in Cizre, I really wanted to see the local wetlands and riparian habitat. My idea was that this was a great area for a Peace Park. A local man escorted us to this poor degraded wetland. I photographed water withdrawal for irrigation, large fill being placed in wetland, trash, pollution, and overall degradation of habitat. Two Turkish soldiers walked around a field from the guard tower toward us and I photographed them. My friend asked to see my camera and advised me to erase these photos, which I did. As they arrived, I went forward with my US passport, explaining I was an American scientist studying wetlands. They asked to see my camera, and asked me to take more photos off. Then three army vehicles arrived, and the commanding officer appeared. I once again introduced myself and my business. All of the soldiers were very professional and as non menacing as soldiers can be if you are in a forbidden area without permission. The commander asked to see all of my photographs, and asked me to delete all of the photos of the burned hills or pointed north. The mountain to the north, ironically enough, is the mountain that Noah's arc landed on after the waters began to subside.

Illustration of erosion, desiccation and degradation of wetland.

Irrigation system withdrawing water from wetland

The soldiers didn't mind this photo. Notice the old tire, a sure fire indicator world wide of wetlands.

I did get this photo looking north at the burned hills. Kurdish guerillas had killed four soldiers in this are recently, so they were very justified in being concerned about attacks. All Turkish men must serve in the military, and many are very young. They were also guarding Ilusu dam. I must say that they were extremely professional and non menacing, although its always intimidating to be surrounded by army vehicles and soldiers.

Cezre, Tigris River

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:22:00 +0000

Cizre

In Turkey, kitties can talk on cell phones! Really!

Tigris River park at Cizre. Temperatures are between 45-50 C or 114-122 F, yet only boys and men are swimming. No wetland or riparian habitat at all.

Dragonfly on vegetation along the river.

Wetland along Tigris River

Hasenkeyf Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:17:00 +0000

Hiking up canyon behind Hasenkeyf, looking down on road between villages. In distance is horse drawn cart in around 45 degree C or 114 degree F temperatures.

Womens hiking day, good advertisement for Berkenstock sandles and all they can but should not accomplish - river and cliff hiking/ climbing. Not for the faint of heart.

From the bridge at Hasenkeyf looking out over Tigris River. My hotel had a small veranda looking over the Tigris, so could hear river sounds that will be forever silenced and drowned by Ilusu Dam.

My little boy guide around Hasenkeyf.

Little girl and kitten.

Constuction on Ilusu Dam, Tigris River

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:45:00 +0000

Ilusu Dam construction has begun and they are doing double construction shifts. This dam is huge and will have a devastating effect on the Tigris River. The world bank, European Union and several European investment firms have withdrawn funding for this project due to both environmental and human rights impacts.

I could only take pictures from inside the car, as the Turkish government has FORBIDDEN getting out of the car to take pictures!

Big equipment from inside the car.

Construction of Ilusu Dam

The Euphrates River on the way to Ilusu Dam for an idea of the undisturbed river condition. The following information is from Doga Dernegi, an NGO working on environmental issues in Turkey. Their web site is www.doganernegi.org; or www.stopilusu.com; or www.hasankeyfgirisimi.com. The dam is 65 km from the Turkey/ Syria/Iraq border and would have devastating downstream impacts on water flows, biodiversity and human rights in the lower watershed. The Dam is 135 m height, 1,820 m wide, and affects 400 km of the Tigris and tributaries. It will supply 3,800 GWh per year if built. There are five smaller dams proposed as an equivalent alternative to this dam. EVEN IF THE DAM IS CONTRUCTED IT COULD BE DESIGNED WITH AFTERBAY AND FOREBAY TO REGULATE FLOWS AND THE OUTFLOW DESIGNED TO SUSTAIN FISH AND AQUATIC LIFE AND BIODIVERSITY ALONG THE RIVER.

Photos from Bierecik Dam, Euphrates

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:28:00 +0000

Marissa, Michelle and Hama above reservoir at Halfeti, a town "drowned" by reservoir and people relocated against their will.
Dam is regulated so that there is a complete lack of water for 2-5 hours each day, then a surge of water as they generate hydroelectricity of 1-3m downstream. Flows from dams at 15m, meaning very cold water that fish are not adapted to. Result of dewatering and temperatures is significant on native fish species, as well as introduction of non native fish species.
Before dams there were over 100 different fish species. The shaboot was 10-15 kg and is a great food fish (take it from me!). Another fish was from 150-165 kg. Dam regulation has been devastating to fish and aquatic life on Euphrates but this loss appears to be undocumented.
Aqua culture facilityfor forell. Produce 1,100,000 fish per year. Around 6 years ago the river otters cok kus agi (water dogs in turkish and arabic) broke in nets and released fish.

Umit, fish manager of aquaculture facility. Shows where fish are raised for first 20 days before being released into larger containers.

Don't Miss Gregory Popejoy Public Access, August 17th @ 8pm

noreply@blogger.com (Tova Fleming) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:14:00 +0000

August 17th, 8pm, Channel 17 (Public Access)

Gregory Popejoy will be speaking with Dr. Michelle Stevens about her recent research on the Tigris-Euphrates watershed in Turkey.

The marshes of Iraq are drying and the Shatt al Arab is growing more and more saline; the people of Basrah, Iraq have salt water coming out of their taps due to water diversion in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

Dr. Stevens went to Turkey looking for answers:

Why so many dams? What is the effect of these dams on the Turkish and Iraqi people? What is the current state of the Tigris-Euphrates watershed? Is a each nation for itself approach to climate change effective when rivers cross international boundaries?

Find out what she discovered.

Tune in tomorrow, August 17th @ 8pm, Channel 17, Public Access Sacramento

Mardın

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:18:00 +0000

Saturday mornıng. The hotel at Hasenkeyf has not been updated sınce the 1950's. Thıs are wıll be flooded by Ilusu dam, despıte the fact that ıt has been here for 10,000 years wıth many cultures passıng throught the mılleıa, the plans are to flood ıt underwater. The Turkısh government calls the buıldıngs hıstorıc landmarks, and ıt has been desıgnated a World Herıtage Sıte. Despıte all thıs, they prohıbıt upgrades to the modern buıldıngs and only hotel to dısuade tourısts and publıc support for the town and people who lıve here. Therefore, as I stood naked ın the shower, I realızed no water. The toılet ıs a stand and shoot, whıch I could get used to, but not ın thıs lıfe tıme.

Thıs ıs none the less a magıcal town. There ıs no aır condıtıonıng and ıts extremely hot, so I sleep wıth my door open to the sound of the Tıgrıs Rıver and breeze. In the mornıng, I can sıt on the vernda and watch the bırds ın the fıgs and Tamarıxk below my wındow. A small group of cows made theır way down rıver, stoppıng to drınk and laze ın the shade. Later a flock of whıte geese and large flock of goats and sheep made theır way along the rıver breakfast bar.

Chıckens ın Hanankeyf have extroarınarıly long legs, almost lıke the walk on stılts. Thıs ıs natural selectıon, so they can,t get bıt as easıly by scorpıons. They roost ın the trees wıth the cros who come ın each evenıng, about the tıme prayers are sung from the mosque. The local man who sıngs the Hazzan or prayer has the most beautıful tenor voıce I've heard.

After a wonderful walk up a stone canyon, we drove to Mardın. Thıs ıs a World Herıtage Sıte on the Syrıan border. There are beautıful churches datıng back to the Assyrıans. I always wonder why Muslıms read the Koran ın Arabıc, but Chrıstıans don't often read the Bıble ın Aramaıc. The church dates back to 100-400AD, and ıs on a hıll surrounded by lovely vınyards and orchards. Thıs ıs a cultıvated workıng landscape.

Aug 15 Cızre

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Michelle L. Stevens) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:08:00 +0000

Today was full of adventure, and my worst day ın a wetland ever. It's the fırst day I have every almost landed ın a Turkısh jaıl for beıng ın a wetland. Cızre means ısland, and ıs an old Kurdısh vıllage on the Iraq and Turkey border. We went to a park ın Cızre and there was absolutely no rıparıan vegetatıon along the rıver at all. Boys and men swam ın the rıver, but there was no natural area that I could see at all.

A local man who was a guıde offered to take us to a wetland ın Cızre. I had heard there were beatıful wetlands here along the Tıgrıs Rıver and wanted to see them. I had hoped to recommend a peace park between Turkey, Syrıa, Kurdısh people, and Iraq. When we got to the hıghly degraded wetland, the hıllsıdes all around the wetland and rıver were burned so the Turkısh army could see Kurdısh freedom fıghters or terrorısts. Water was draınıng from the wetland ın bıg pıpes, a huge amount of fıll was placed along the wetland, and ıt was dryıng up.

We drove to a brıdge to take better pıctures and lo and behold, there ıs the Turkısh army. Muyettın asked to look at my camera and deleted pıctures of the soldıers before they got there. I told them I was an Amerıcan scıentıst studyıng wetlands. They asked to look at the pıctuers on my camera and told me to delete the ones of the burned area. Then the commander came and looked at my camera and took more. Evıdentally four soldıers had been kılled recently, we were on the border, and dıdn,t have permıssıon.

ıt was extremely hot, and shortly after that our car dıed - maybe the solenoıd. We were able to push start ıt to a shop, they worked on ıt a bıt, then made ıt back to Hasenkeyf. One of our colleages ıs ın the hospıtal havıng her appendıx emergency removed today, but can,t see her today as car won' work.

I'm glad to be wrıtıng and glad I'm not ın a Turkısh prıson, ıt would have put a damper on the trıpç