Iraq: The Explosive Battle to Build an Iraqi National Park [Photos]

Mar 19, 2018 | Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic
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If a determined band of local environmentalists get their way, all this might soon form part of Iraq’s first international standard national park. Undeterred by the explosive remnants of recent wars—and desperate to salvage what’s left of their country’s much-depleted flora and fauna, these men are intent on carving out an enormous protected area of roughly 460 square miles (that’s twice as large as Zion National Park in the U.S.). After decades of widespread environmental destruction, most recently at the hands of Islamic State jihadists, they’re hoping to build both a wildlife sanctuary and a symbol of a better, more peaceful future.