Marshes at 23% of Original Size
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 4:57PM Recent MODIS satellite imagery (October, 2011) indicate that the Iraqi Marshes have an extent of 2,400km2 which is ~ 23% of its original size (~10,500km2). The wet season is still a few months away and recent drying in the Hawizeh Marshes will cause the size to shrink even more. Since 2006 the Marshes have been steadily decreasing in size. There are seasonal peaks in water flow around April and May, but otherwise the water levels have been going down. If these trends continue the Marshes will be extremely fragmented and less than 1,000km2 (>10%) by 2018.
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