Mass fish die-off in Iraq’s Ibn Najm Marsh as drought bites

Shafaq News/ Thousands of fish have died in Iraq’s Ibn Najm Marsh, which stretches across Najaf, Babil, and al-Diwaniyah provinces, due to acute water scarcity and depleted oxygen levels.

Once part of the “Central Marshes” revitalized by a joint government project to restore its ecological and economic role, Ibn Najm Marsh has now become a symbol of collapse.

Initially, the project had reintroduced water flows and stocked the marsh with tons of fish over four months. But mechanical failures in water pumps abruptly halted water pumping, causing water levels to drop sharply.

Abu Zain Al-Abidin, an environmental activist from Najaf, told Shafaq News, “They pumped in the water and filled the marsh with tons of fish, then suddenly stopped the pumping. Today, we face a catastrophe. Thousands of fish have died, and people’s livelihoods have completely collapsed.”

Shocking videos shared by activists show countless dead fish floating on the marsh’s surface, while buffalo swim among the carcasses in an increasingly dire environment.

The largest affected portion of the marsh lies about 25 kilometers northeast of Najaf, spilling into the border areas of Babil and al-Diwaniyah.

Najaf’s Water Resources Director, Shaker Al-Atwi, told Shafaq News that Ibn Najm Marsh has no official water allocation. “The marsh currently relies on drainage water, which has turned saline and dried up due to rising temperatures, killing the fish that can no longer adapt,” Al-Atwi said.

He added that Najaf has no dedicated water resources, and even drinking water supplies are at risk.

For residents, the marsh’s demise means the end of their only source of income. “The marsh was our life,” a resident told Shafaq News. “We used to eat from it and live off it. Now, there’s no water, no fish, and no other livelihood.”