Iraq: Marsh Loss Shatters Lifestyle of Iraq’s Ma’dan Women

Apr 14, 2016 | Rasha Dewedar, SciDev.Net
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Iraq is losing crucial knowledge about water management as marshland depletion is altering the lifestyle of local women, a paper has warned. The indigenous people of the Hammar Marshes, called Ma’dan, hold a treasure trove of traditional knowledge and skills that help with water management, medicine and sustainable farming, a study found. In Ma’dan tradition, women are the preservers of such knowledge and take an active role in trade, reed collection and animal husbandry.