0:00:27 > 0:00:29The word "Iraq" brings to the Western mind
0:00:29 > 0:00:35images of desert, images of oil,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39civil war,
0:00:39 > 0:00:44of bloodshed, violence.
0:00:44 > 0:00:50But the word "Iraq" brings to me images of reed forests.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56Images of plentiful fishing,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58images of birds filling the sky.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Lakes extending as far as the eye can see.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I hope the West will get to see
0:01:07 > 0:01:11my version of Iraq, soon.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Looking at its landscape,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27you wouldn't imagine southern Iraq
0:01:27 > 0:01:31had been home to one of the world's most important wetlands.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39But as recently as the 1980s, this
0:01:41 > 0:01:42looked like this.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54An enormous marshland, 6,000 square miles in area.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Fed by the combined waters
0:01:59 > 0:02:01of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03it dominated southern Iraq.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10It was known as the Mesopotamian Marshes
0:02:10 > 0:02:15and many Biblical scholars believe it was the original Garden of Eden.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21What's certain is that for over 7,000 years,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24it was a unique habitat of global importance,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28where wildlife and people lived in harmony.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Then, in the 1990s,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42the marshes were virtually destroyed by Saddam Hussein
0:02:42 > 0:02:46in an attempt to eradicate the indigenous Marsh Arabs.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Drained of water,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57the region's biggest wetland was turned to dust.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05An interdependent community of people and wildlife, wiped out.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Since the fall of Saddam, however,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15there's been a concerted effort to recreate the marshes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19'My name's David Johnson.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'Together with cameraman, Steve Foote,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26'I've decided to brave the violence and chaos that still bedevil Iraq,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'to see if the marshes can be restored.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'And to meet Azzam Alwash,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'who is driving what is, in effect,
0:03:34 > 0:03:39'the biggest habitat recreation project in the world.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43'Steve and I also want to see
0:03:43 > 0:03:47'if this wetland's amazing variety of wildlife still exists.'
0:03:49 > 0:03:52The marshes were of crucial importance
0:03:52 > 0:03:54'to a wide variety of birds,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58providing a vital habitat corridor for their migrations.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Marbled teal, like these filmed in neighbouring Turkey,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08rely on marshlands to survive over winter and breed.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11The draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes
0:04:11 > 0:04:14helped make them a globally threatened species.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It's a similar story with the Basra Reed Warbler.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It takes its name from the nearby city of Basra
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and is rarely seen out of the region,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30except on migration to East Africa.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34With its breeding grounds virtually destroyed,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37we want to know what's happened to this endangered bird.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45'Our mission sounds straightforward,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48'but that's without the Iraq factor.'
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Since the 2003 invasion,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58this country has been torn apart by violence and civil war.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Hundreds of thousands of people have died.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04So why have we risked it?
0:05:04 > 0:05:09We had an opportunity here to make a film about a hidden part of Iraq,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11a piece of Iraq that people, generally
0:05:11 > 0:05:13are completely unaware of.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17And hopefully, a positive story in the final analysis,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'about a part of the world
0:05:19 > 0:05:24'that just doesn't get a lot of positive press.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I felt that this was a film that was actually worth making
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and the risks involved were worth taking.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33This film is not about the "bang-bang", it's about the tweet-tweet!
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'Before Steve and I could even set foot in Iraq,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41'we had to have specific training
0:05:41 > 0:05:43'on working in a hostile environment.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47'It covered everything from combat first aid and survival techniques,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51'to weapons recognition and dealing with kidnapping.'
0:05:55 > 0:06:01But nothing really prepares you for the reality of a place like Iraq.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08We travel everywhere in specially-adapted Land Cruisers,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12fitted with plate armour and bullet-proof glass.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- RADIO CALL - "Junction ahead, straight, straight..."
0:06:16 > 0:06:18'We're accompanied by a private security team,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22'equipped to deal with all eventualities.'
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Our quarters will be the two US Airbases in the south of Iraq
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and it's pretty clear when we arrive at the Basra base,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36that it's a million miles away from the comforts of home.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41Pretty much the first thing that happens is you get a big safety briefing about rocket attacks
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and what to do in the event that the alarms go off.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Seven rockets were fired into the base the night before last. This is real, this is happening.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53'Only with all these precautions in place,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58'can we finally start making the film.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00'Our first priority is to meet the man
0:07:00 > 0:07:02'who is at the centre of the enormous project
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'to re-establish this unique wetland -
0:07:05 > 0:07:07'Azzam Alwash.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'Azzam grew up in the town of Nasiriyah,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'on the banks of the Euphrates.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17'As a boy, he accompanied his father -
0:07:17 > 0:07:22'a government water engineer - on many trips into the marshes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'No photos exist of those trips,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30'but these stills, published around the same time,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34'capture a flavour of the environment he encountered.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:40My memory of those boat trips is that we are passing through these passageways
0:07:40 > 0:07:42that are surrounded with reed beds,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45that to my mind's eye, extended to the sky.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47These were towering reeds.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51I remember leaning over the outside of the boat
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and looking into this clear water and seeing fish.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And I remember heat.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58And every now and then,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02we'd go out of these meandering rivers into these wide lakes
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and suddenly there's this breeze that comes into you,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08that cools you down.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11What I remember is a sense of serenity,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14a sense of warmth, a sense of love.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19A sense of being with my father, enjoying a unique place.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Azzam treasured those memories,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28more so after fleeing Saddam's regime and settling in the USA.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Then, in the wake of the 2003 invasion,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40he took time out from his thriving engineering practice
0:08:40 > 0:08:45to return to Iraq and see what had happened to his beloved marshes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54But nothing prepared him for what he found when he arrived.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The first time I saw the dried marshes, the dried Central Marshes,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07it was literally a physical blow.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It was painful.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Seeing a place that you grew up in,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14that you have kept in your memories,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17green, full of life, birds...
0:09:17 > 0:09:22and it's a desert, it's dead.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26And then you look at the destroyed homes,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28you look at the remnants of boats
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and you wonder about the loss for the people -
0:09:32 > 0:09:34what does it mean?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37The indigenous Madan tribes
0:09:37 > 0:09:40had relied on the marshes for their livelihood.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42But as these satellite images show,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46the marshes, once nearly the size of Wales,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50had shrunk to less than 10% of their original area,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55far too small to sustain the local population.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01'Fahid Al-Assadi, a family friend of Azzam, watched it happen.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:27Starving, and terrorised by Saddam's troops,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30the Marsh Arab population collapsed
0:10:30 > 0:10:34from a quarter of a million to just a few thousand.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Fleeing to elsewhere in Iraq, Iran, or further afield,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44most, like Fadhila Jabbah,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47thought their way of life had gone forever.
0:11:03 > 0:11:11But after Saddam's fall in 2003, a return did indeed become possible.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Azzam, following up on his father's old contacts,
0:11:14 > 0:11:19headed for Al Caba'ish in the Central Marshes.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24'So, following in his footsteps, it's our next destination, too.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42'Of course, the security situation means it's easier said than done.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44'Disguised as roadside debris,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'are often used to attack the security forces.'
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Sadly, private security teams like ours
0:11:54 > 0:11:57also constitute a legitimate target.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06The other main risk we face is kidnap,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10a prospect that's rare, but no less unnerving for it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16To minimise both threats, we vary our route every day
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and try to avoid going to the same location two days running,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22or establishing any kind of pattern at all.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Well, we actually left our base over an hour ago,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32but we're only calling Azzam now
0:12:32 > 0:12:35because, from a security point of view,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39we can't talk about things in advance.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's very much on a need to know basis.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It really minimises the risk of kidnap,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47if we leave everything to the last moment.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Makes our lives more difficult from a planning point of view,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54but it keeps us safe.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It's over two hours before we finally reach Al Caba'ish.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03It used to be at the heart of the Central Marshes,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05but now it's dry and dusty,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08cut off from the Euphrates River by an enormous embankment.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13If you came before the embankment was built, this was all marsh.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18This was reed beds all the way, as far as the eye can see.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23This was where the water buffalo frolicked and lived.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Now, we come back in 2003...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Well, this is essentially what you see.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Desert plant, tamarix,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32the water world had disappeared -
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Eden disappeared.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40This embankment and its twin on the far shore,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43are relics of the enormous engineering works
0:13:43 > 0:13:47carried out by Saddam to drain the marshes dry.
0:13:47 > 0:13:5145 miles long and seven metres high,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53they were built to prevent the Euphrates
0:13:53 > 0:13:56ever flooding this section of the marshes.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Every piece of dirt that was used to build this embankment
0:14:00 > 0:14:01was imported from the desert.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06You can imagine the amount of money that was spent
0:14:06 > 0:14:10in order to prevent the marshes from ever coming back to life.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15'But this is just a small part of the work Saddam carried out.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18'Although it looks like a river,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20'this is, in fact, a canal,
0:14:20 > 0:14:25'part of the network built by Saddam to channel water around the marshes,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27'funnelling it straight to the Gulf,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30'over 150 miles to the south.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Part of me envies the engineers.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39I mean, it's an incredible accomplishment, really.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43To drain 12,000 square kilometres of wetland is no easy feat.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48It's certainly an incredible engineering feat,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50but it's a disaster of a project.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Seeing Saddam's network of canals at first hand,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I am struck by just the sheer scale of the work.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's as breathtaking as it is depressing.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08However, the Marsh Arabs who returned after Saddam's overthrow,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13were resolute in their determination to reflood the marshes.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15They dug breaches in the canal walls,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17but in many cases,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20the embankments were just too big for them to tackle.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23'Back in Al Caba'ish,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'Azzam was undeterred.'
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The Euphrates is right here in the background
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and we mobilised an excavator
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and started digging a trench.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34The trench got to the water level
0:15:34 > 0:15:36and then the water took care of the rest of the problem.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41As soon as the water started flowing, it started undermining the embankment
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and basically, made this excavation the width that it is.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48However, as people were finding out across the region,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51reflooding areas was just the beginning.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I come back three months later
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and I'm standing on top of a bridge here
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and I'm looking at the marsh
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and I see nothing but red, stagnated water.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06And I'm saying, "Uh-oh..."
0:16:08 > 0:16:11"..What the hell did I do?"
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I thought at that point
0:16:14 > 0:16:18we might have created an environmental disaster.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Eventually, all the reddish stuff
0:16:21 > 0:16:24that kind of got dissolved in the water,
0:16:24 > 0:16:25started going out.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27And six months later,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29reeds were coming back up
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and it was amazing. It was incredible, really.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38The seeds had survived nearly a decade of drought
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and triggered by the return of water,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45new reed beds sprang up right across the region.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It was a fantastic demonstration of nature's ability
0:16:52 > 0:16:55to recover from the worst of disasters.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Even though our first sight of the marshes is in mid-winter,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07it's striking just how large the reed beds are
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and how varied the bird life is.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Pied Kingfishers are everywhere.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27Capable of hovering for long periods in search of prey,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29they can swallow small fish in flight,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32an ability that allows them to thrive
0:17:32 > 0:17:36amidst reed beds that offer few solid perches.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We see them nesting in the embankments built by Saddam
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and it's obvious the species has thrived.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Equally prevalent are Black-winged Stilts.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53With their distinctive red legs, they patrol shallow areas,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56on the prowl for worms and small fish.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Pygmy Cormorants,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05a species exclusive to Southeast Europe,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Central Asia and the Middle East, are thriving.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14We also chance upon wintering migrant birds,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16like this juvenile Imperial Eagle,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21which may have travelled here from as far away as central Russia.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31And in a happy echo of that 1980s archive footage,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35we spot a large flock of Great White Pelicans.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54The marshes are like...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Well, they're called the Garden of Eden, aren't they?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00It's just extraordinary, it's just such a peaceful, peaceful place.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'It's an incredibly relaxing experience.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06'In fact, out in the boat,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09'it's easy to forget we're in Iraq at all.'
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Another delight is seeing just how many of the Marsh Arabs
0:19:15 > 0:19:18have decided to return to the area.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22People like Hammed Sarsar.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57With wildlife and reeds re-established,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01the Marsh Arab way of life is rising from the ashes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08What we've learned is that the people and the environment are interconnected here.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09What's good for the environment is good for the people,
0:20:09 > 0:20:14what's good for the people is good for the environment, so they are not separate.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21From the reeds, they build their own islands, upon which they build their houses.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25From the reeds, they make mats for trading and bartering.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28From the young reeds, they feed their water buffalo.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32From the dried reeds, they bake their bread.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39It's the trunk upon which the Marsh Arab's life is built.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Steve and I also benefit from this plant's inherent strength.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49'Getting panoramic shots out here is difficult, because it's so flat.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'And Steve has to make use of whatever high point he can find.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02'Out in the marshes, the only way we can
0:21:02 > 0:21:10'achieve the same kind of photography is by getting the locals to build platforms for us out of reeds.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's very strong and it's actually quite sturdy.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19'But we've managed to successfully film some birds from it this morning.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'I think it's testament to
0:21:21 > 0:21:23'the building material itself.'
0:21:43 > 0:21:45'It's not all been good news.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49'A helicopter ride, courtesy of the US military,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'reveals that the restoration has been patchy and sporadic.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01'It's a far cry from the endless wetlands that Azzam knew as a child.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05'And the situation was even worse in 2004.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11'People were reflooding individual sections of marshland, but there was no co-ordination
0:22:11 > 0:22:13'between different areas,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17'and no-one with a coherent plan to ensure the marshes' long-term future.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23'Having played a part in restoring one area,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26'Azzam decided to stay in Iraq
0:22:26 > 0:22:30'and set up an organisation to address this bigger picture.
0:22:30 > 0:22:38'Despite the chaos enveloping the country, Azzam has had no doubt it was the right decision.'
0:22:38 > 0:22:40'This is the cradle of western civilisation.'
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Around the shores of these lakes,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49mankind built their first cities.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Or the birthplace of civilisation at least. Western civilisation
0:22:55 > 0:22:58is on the edges of these marshes,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03or is where writing was invented, or where Abraham was born.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05And many scholars
0:23:05 > 0:23:10theorise that the marshes are, in fact, the site of Eden.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Why ask why work on restoring Eden? Eden is not
0:23:14 > 0:23:18just a state of mind, it's a place, it's in
0:23:18 > 0:23:21the marshes of Iraq.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'Shuttling between his family in California and work in Iraq,
0:23:27 > 0:23:33'Azzam has established a conservation organisation, Nature Iraq.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39'Since 2004, they have worked hard to promote the cause of the marshes and the Marsh Arabs.'
0:23:39 > 0:23:44Some people think that we're silly, working on the marshes in the middle of civil insurrection,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48in the middle of kidnapping, gangs, and what have you.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53'We take our precautions, we try to protect our people as much as we can.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'But life cannot stop waiting for the civil war to be finished.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01'There's work to be done and there is the next generation to educate.'
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'Azzam wants to establish Iraq's first National Park
0:24:06 > 0:24:08'in the Central Marshes,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11'using the wildlife as its main attraction.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16'It's all part of his plan to secure the long-term future of the region.'
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It is my dream to have this area become
0:24:19 > 0:24:21an eco-tourism Mecca,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25as well as an archaeological Mecca for tourists.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I see people arriving in plane loads, and even before
0:24:30 > 0:24:35making it to the hotel, visiting the oldest city in the world, Ur.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Visiting Abraham's house, visiting the royal tombs.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44And the next day, we would take them into staying in lodges in the middle
0:24:44 > 0:24:50of the marshes, taking them on kayak trips to see rare birds.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54This has to be a place the rest of the world has to see,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57so they can help us maintain it for the next generation.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06'It takes quite a leap of imagination to share Azzam's vision.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11'Although our accommodation is clean, it's not exactly five star...
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'Instead of the hotel bar, we have a...
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'bomb shelter.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'And while there's no need to rush out early to bag a spot on the beach,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'there are other compelling arguments that prevent a lie-in.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:34It's just gone half past five in the morning.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37A little bit earlier than I would prefer to be up,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39but there has been some intelligence
0:25:39 > 0:25:44that there are some IEDs out on some of the roads that we're travelling.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50We're hoping to get out and early before really any of the insurgents are up and about
0:25:50 > 0:25:53and hopefully that will keep us safe.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Slightly nerve-wracking, but
0:25:58 > 0:26:00all part of the fun of working in Iraq!
0:26:04 > 0:26:09'Bombs are one of the reasons our security team relies on so many vehicles.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15'The scout car travels first, followed by our 4x4.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23'If either of us break down, or are blown up,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28'the third car is there to pick up the pieces.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31'The fourth vehicle carries all the heavy weapons.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'It's their job to extricate us when the bullets start flying.
0:26:41 > 0:26:48'Thankfully, we don't encounter any bombs while making the film, but that doesn't mean the risk is overstated.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'In the first six months of 2010, there are on average more than
0:26:56 > 0:27:01'two violent incidents a day, just in the region we're working in.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06'About half of those are roadside or vehicle-borne explosions, including
0:27:06 > 0:27:10'one that goes off just outside a military base we're staying at.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14'And Azzam himself accepts
0:27:14 > 0:27:19'that Iraq is a long way off becoming a tourist destination.'
0:27:19 > 0:27:27I cannot make this argument in today's Iraq, when people are being found headless in the street.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29This is not yet
0:27:29 > 0:27:33'an eco-tourism destination, but these are some of my dreams.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:39'Even if Iraq becomes a stable and peaceful place,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44'Azzam knows he needs to convince the locals, investors and
0:27:44 > 0:27:49'potential visitors, that the marshes do have a long-term future
0:27:49 > 0:27:52'and that the wildlife is here to stay.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55'Which is one of the reasons Nature Iraq regularly sends
0:27:55 > 0:27:59'survey teams into the marshes,
0:27:59 > 0:28:04'and winter is a crucial time of year for monitoring activity here.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11Many birds, like these Spanish and Dead Sea Sparrows,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14rely on this wetland to feed and roost in winter.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18And it's a key watering hole for millions of migrants
0:28:18 > 0:28:22on the long, hazardous journey between Eurasia and Africa.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'By recording the numbers and different species of birds
0:28:26 > 0:28:33'passing through, the survey teams will be able to assess the general health of specific populations,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37'a good indicator of the overall condition of the marshes themselves.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'And there's exciting news.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47'According to some local fishermen, a large flock of marbled teal
0:28:47 > 0:28:49'has been spotted in the Central Marshes.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56'This endangered species hasn't been seen in this area for 20 years,
0:28:56 > 0:29:01'so we've joined Azzam and chief ornithologist, Mudhafar Salim, to see if it's true.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:09In the chaos of the Iraq of today,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11this is a piece of heaven.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Just being at one with nature,
0:29:17 > 0:29:19birds flying,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23the rustling of the reeds.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Isn't this what heaven is all about?
0:29:31 > 0:29:36'It takes us half an hour to reach the lake where the teal are supposed to be.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41'If the reports are accurate, it should just be a question of patience.'
0:29:49 > 0:29:51THEY SPEAK ARABIC
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Incredible, wow.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59'We're in luck.'
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Incredible.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06A flock of marbled teal is congregating on the far side of the lake.
0:30:11 > 0:30:17'What's really exciting is that there are far more teal than we expected.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:24You've got to see this. Oh, my gosh.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Oh, my God.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28HE LAUGHS
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Oh, my God! Look at this, look at this!
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Jesus!
0:30:47 > 0:30:49That is incredible.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58'If you were here in 2004, 2005, when the water first arrived,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02'you would have seen desert and nothing but tamarisk.
0:31:02 > 0:31:08And today you see reeds, it's winter and it's yellow, it's not alive,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10but the most beautiful thing is the fact
0:31:10 > 0:31:15you have, I don't know, 20,000 - he says 20,000 - I have no idea!
0:31:15 > 0:31:20I just know it's a black cloud of birds and it's filling the sky
0:31:20 > 0:31:25and it's just amazing, what will happen when you let water back in.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29When we tell this to Birdlife International, I think they're going to be
0:31:29 > 0:31:32uncorking champagne. I think, I'm not sure!
0:31:33 > 0:31:36It makes it worthwhile, all the sacrifices, missing my children's
0:31:36 > 0:31:38birthdays, missing my wife's birthday,
0:31:38 > 0:31:43missing an anniversary, missing the girl's graduation,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46you know?
0:31:47 > 0:31:50When my kids and my grandkids come here,
0:31:50 > 0:31:54and we talk about the missed opportunities,
0:31:54 > 0:31:59there is something I can point to as this is the reason why.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01'It's an amazing moment.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:07The sight of so many birds emphasizes the marshes' importance as a wildlife habitat,
0:32:07 > 0:32:13and it convinces me this could actually become an eco-tourism destination in the future.
0:32:16 > 0:32:22'Analysing the photographs later, the team revise their estimates of teal numbers upwards.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27'They now think there are over 40,000 in the marshes this winter,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'five times the previous highest count, and almost double
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'the previous estimates of the world population.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38'But we aren't the only people to spot the teal.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44'These men are hunters, attempting to bag a few birds for the pot.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47GUNSHOT
0:32:47 > 0:32:53Surrounded by a group of excited conservationists, I half expect us to rush off and confront them.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'But Azzam knows that a balance has to be struck
0:32:57 > 0:33:01'between the needs of the wildlife and those of the Marsh Arabs.'
0:33:01 > 0:33:04We're not going to prevent people from going in there and hunting,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07we're not going to prevent people from going there and fishing.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09It's their land, it's their area,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11they can go in there and fish all they want.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15The fact is the marshes need to be restored, but need to be restored
0:33:15 > 0:33:18for the people, not for nature, per se.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21But both can benefit from this.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34'It's early April and we're back to see what effect the spring
0:33:34 > 0:33:39'floods have had, and to film some of the marshes' resident wildlife.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48'To give us the best chance of actually seeing any, our security
0:33:48 > 0:33:53'team has worked hard to set up a one-off overnight in Al-Caba'ish.
0:33:53 > 0:33:59'It will allow us to film at sunset and sunrise, when the birds and amphibians are most prevalent.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05'The benefits are immediately apparent.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12'The resident marsh frogs treat us, not just to a chorus,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15'but to a mating display as well.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:24This is all good stuff.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32'Later, when we see the arrangements required for the overnight,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36'it's pretty clear why we can't do this all the time.'
0:34:36 > 0:34:40We've got a ten-man security team working with us.
0:34:40 > 0:34:46And on top of that, we've also got the TSU, the Tactical Support Unit of the Iraqi police guarding us.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48So it's quite a big operation, really.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Slightly surreal, considering, really, they're only looking after Steve and I.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57So we're in this bizarre position where there are thirty people here
0:34:57 > 0:35:01to look after two, which feels really odd.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05The thing is, I can't quite figure out, is it weird because there are
0:35:05 > 0:35:09only two of us, we don't need thirty to look after us, surely?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Or is it weird because, actually, we do need thirty to look after us
0:35:13 > 0:35:16and that says something about the environment we're in?
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Either way, it's pretty peculiar, especially since we're really just here to film some ducks.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Overnight is a success, although the morning is
0:35:31 > 0:35:34more of a smash and grab raid than a conventional wildlife shoot.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45'Guards and guns rather compromise our ability to blend in.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'The light is nothing to get excited about either,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58'but we do get a glimpse of an Iraq Babbler.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03'Its rather bland looks disguise its significance.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06'This species can only be found here,
0:36:06 > 0:36:11'over the border in Iran, and upstream along the Euphrates.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15'The Babbler is definitely a tick,
0:36:15 > 0:36:20'but we are hoping to see some of the marshes' more exotic inhabitants.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28'However, heading off later, Mudhafar reminds us that just a few years ago,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31any of birding trip would have been impossible.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Initially, we see little except slender billed gulls.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27'Then, after a bit of wading to get right out to the edge of the marsh,
0:37:27 > 0:37:33'we're rewarded with a sight of my favourite bird - a flock of Greater Flamingo.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42'These birds probably breed in northern Iran, but attracted
0:37:42 > 0:37:46'by the warmer temperatures, they'll spend several months here,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'moving from one brackish spot to another.'
0:38:47 > 0:38:51'The job of conserving the wildlife here is getting harder.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55'In fact, the whole marsh restoration project is at risk.
0:38:55 > 0:39:01'And looking at the Euphrates River, it's immediately apparent why.
0:39:01 > 0:39:08'By now, the river should be starting to flood, swollen with snow-melt from its head-waters in Turkey.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12'In fact, it looks lower now than it did in January.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23'It's the continuation of a drought that has been going on for nearly three years.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28'And from a peak of over 50%, the proportion of marshland
0:39:28 > 0:39:31'that's been restored has slumped to around 30%.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37'The drought is not the sole cause of the problems.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41'The Tigris and Euphrates rivers have been dammed
0:39:41 > 0:39:44'since the time of the Babylonians, 4,000 years ago.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47'But recently, the rate of upstream dam construction
0:39:47 > 0:39:54'has increased dramatically, and the marshes now receive less than a fifth of the water they did 30 years ago.'
0:39:56 > 0:40:00The lack of water is the result of dams upstream, in Iraq,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03but mostly in Turkey and Syria.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05If there's enough water, we can restore 100% of the marshes.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10The hindering block is, in fact, this lack of water.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15The dams are creating an additional problem.
0:40:15 > 0:40:22The traditional cycle of spring floods, flushing out accumulated salt deposits, no longer occurs.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30'And, as scientists like Nabeel Hasan are seeing, the marshes
0:40:30 > 0:40:33'are becoming steadily more saline.'
0:40:33 > 0:40:40You can use this multimeter to take an indicator of the water quality, but the plants can give you
0:40:40 > 0:40:43a first indicator.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47Water lily is now growing very limited,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and in a specific area, it's less than before.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53It makes me sad, actually,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57because when you work in the marshes,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00you feel like each plant
0:41:00 > 0:41:03is like, you know, like your baby.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07The water quality changes aren't just affecting the plants.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Traditional freshwater fish
0:41:09 > 0:41:14are being replaced by species that are salt water tolerant.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Elsewhere, areas have dried completely.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The few pools of water left, like those close to
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Fadhila Jabber's house, are often stagnant and polluted.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37'It's late May, the beginning of summer in the marshes.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46'We've returned to Iraq for one final trip.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49'Our main objective is to film the rare Basra Reed Warbler.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57'Like these Squacco Herons,
0:42:57 > 0:43:02'or these Red Crested Potchard, the Reed Warblers should be nesting now.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06'And our best chance of seeing one lies in finding an occupied nest,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08'somewhere out here in the marshes.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14'We also want to find out what steps,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17'if any, are being taken to tackle the dreadful lack of water.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21'If the problem is not addressed,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25'then much of the work carried out to date will be for nothing.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31'However, returning to the river,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35'it's obvious that in our absence Azzam and his team have been busy.'
0:43:37 > 0:43:40Early last year, we did notice that the Euphrates level was dropping,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44as a result, the Central Marshes were beginning to re-dry.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52In order to prevent that from happening, one of my engineers thought of the idea of building
0:43:52 > 0:43:57an embankment across the Euphrates, raising the level of the Euphrates upstream.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01The embankment is now being built by the Ministry of Water Resources
0:44:01 > 0:44:03to actually rehydrate the Central Marshes,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07and the Central Marshes are rehydrating as we speak.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11'Putting yet another dam in the Euphrates
0:44:11 > 0:44:13'can only be a stop-gap measure.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18'It's just intended to buy time, while Azzam musters the resources to
0:44:18 > 0:44:24'implement his grand plan to secure the long-term future for this area.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27'To achieve it, he's taking on
0:44:27 > 0:44:30'one of the most enduring legacies of Saddam's reign.
0:44:32 > 0:44:37'This is the Glory River, the largest of Saddam's drainage canals.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43'Until now, it's been left largely intact.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46'That's about to change.'
0:44:50 > 0:44:53At this point in time, we're building a regulator at the beginning of the Glory River.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58I hope you will see that there's not going to be any water flowing here, all the water that's flowing into
0:44:58 > 0:45:03the Glory River should be flowing into the Central Marshes, where it will go to the National Park.
0:45:03 > 0:45:08With this water, we can restore the majority of the Central Marshes.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11That's just part of the vision.
0:45:11 > 0:45:16Diverting water from the Glory River is like turning on a bath tap.
0:45:16 > 0:45:22But Azzam is also playing with the plug in order to recreate the natural water cycle.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37What we're trying to do here is to create a mechanical flood, as it were.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42We have a series of nine regulators, just about the same size as this one.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45We're going to use these regulators to kind of hold water in the winter
0:45:45 > 0:45:52and make the water go up and basically wet the dry areas, or the high areas.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And then let the water go out in the spring,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58creating a small flood cycle for the central marsh.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03It's a compromise, essentially.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06It's basically creating a small flood pulse, as opposed
0:46:06 > 0:46:09to the large pulses that used to happen by nature.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12The water that comes into the marshes these days does not have
0:46:12 > 0:46:16the turbidity, does not have the silt and clay that it used to have, with the natural floods.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21So it is a half solution, but it's better than nothing.
0:46:23 > 0:46:30'The project's being funded by the Iraqi government, but was developed using money from Italy.'
0:46:30 > 0:46:32We have
0:46:32 > 0:46:34a small generator for them.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39THEY SPEAK ARABIC
0:46:39 > 0:46:40Thank you very much.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47'Several Western governments provide aid to help in the rebuilding of Iraq, channelling funds through
0:46:47 > 0:46:52'specially set up Provincial Reconstruction Teams, or PRTs.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57'Here in Dhi Qar Province, the PRT is run by the Italians.
0:46:57 > 0:47:04'And its head, Anna Prouse, is a committed supporter of the efforts to maintain and extend the marshes.'
0:47:04 > 0:47:08'I haven't been out here now in a few months, and I was smiling.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10'I said, I am so glad I came out here.'
0:47:10 > 0:47:14Because at the beginning, there was was not much to see out here.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17The heart would cry when you saw it.
0:47:17 > 0:47:24Now, you start seeing water with fish again, and the birds flying in the evening when the sun goes down.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26It is, you know,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28it's good for the soul.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Here, you just breathe the future,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34you just breathe that there is a possibility.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36And this is thanks to the wildlife.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41That sense of hope is a valuable commodity in Iraq,
0:47:41 > 0:47:47because the deteriorating security situation could plunge the country back into chaos.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53'The upsurge in violence is partly due
0:47:53 > 0:47:58'to the inconclusive results of the national elections in March 2010.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02'With no clear winner, the competing groups
0:48:02 > 0:48:06'have so far failed to form a coalition government.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10'In effect, no-one is in charge.'
0:48:10 > 0:48:13No. Er, on the causeway.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Yes.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17OK, see you then.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20'With just a few days to go,
0:48:20 > 0:48:26'we thankfully haven't had to deal with any serious security incidents.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31'But we still want to film the elusive Basra Reed Warbler
0:48:31 > 0:48:34'and today's early start looks to have been a wasted effort.'
0:48:37 > 0:48:41We've just had a bit of a delay this morning, an argument over boats.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44We'd got boats organised to take us out into the marsh,
0:48:44 > 0:48:49but one of the locals was arguing because we weren't using his boat.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53'And the only way it was going to get resolved was by calling up the local
0:48:53 > 0:48:57'Sheikh and the local Head of Police to try and resolve it.
0:48:58 > 0:49:04'The boats that have come to pick us up belong to one tribe, but to reach us, they've had
0:49:04 > 0:49:09'to travel into another tribe's area, which is the source of the dispute.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15'As the argument intensifies, it feels like
0:49:15 > 0:49:18'I'm watching a microcosm of the parliamentary negotiations...
0:49:18 > 0:49:21'and they've been going on for months.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27'Being held like this in one place
0:49:27 > 0:49:31'is never good from a safety point of view, and after an hour's delay,
0:49:31 > 0:49:35'the security team leader decides to abandon filming.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41'Visible for miles around atop an embankment,
0:49:41 > 0:49:43'we are extremely vulnerable.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45'But we can't just head off.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49'Our police escort has called up a local detachment to guide us
0:49:49 > 0:49:56'through the nearby town, so we must move the vehicles off the skyline while we wait for them to appear.
0:50:00 > 0:50:05'Every new arrival is now viewed as a potential threat.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53'Even the confirmation of their identity as the detachment
0:50:53 > 0:50:57'we've been waiting for does little to reduce the tension.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:09I've just been informed by the TL that we're moving out in approximately two minutes.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Bravo, Roger.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Are we going back through Suk Anq sukh?
0:51:15 > 0:51:18No, we're going to go a different route.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Just shows how a situation can get out of control
0:51:24 > 0:51:28over something as simple as using the wrong boat,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31can easily flare up into a full-on
0:51:31 > 0:51:33bunfight, as they say.
0:51:34 > 0:51:40'But if we thought our next stop would be the sanctuary of our base, we were sadly mistaken.'
0:51:42 > 0:51:46Well, as you can see, things have escalated a bit further.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50Didn't quite expect to be on the inside of an Iraqi police station.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55The guy who was complaining wouldn't take money.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58We came to the conclusion that, potentially,
0:51:58 > 0:52:02there's another agenda going on.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06This whole area is now deemed potentially hostile,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10and we are now waiting for re-enforcements to join us.
0:52:10 > 0:52:16The only thing we can really do is return to base, regroup and come up with a plan for tomorrow.
0:52:16 > 0:52:23'After 45 minutes, more heavily armed TSU squads arrive
0:52:23 > 0:52:26'and we can finally start the long journey home.
0:52:32 > 0:52:37The guy who'd been kicking up a fuss over the boats, and was subsequently arrested, has actually turned out
0:52:37 > 0:52:41to be a member of the Mahdi Army, which is a militia group.
0:52:41 > 0:52:46And that's just changed the whole perspective on that situation.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48The Iraqi police unit
0:52:48 > 0:52:53that was escorting us is taking it so seriously that we actually have
0:52:53 > 0:52:57six TSU vehicles with us now.
0:52:57 > 0:53:04So we are now a military convoy of ten vehicles in total,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06which is a measure of
0:53:06 > 0:53:11how seriously the local police are taking the situation.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17'After all the effort to get us out to Iraq and into the marshes,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21'the loss of a whole day's filming is difficult to stomach.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24'But as they say out here, "Inshallah"
0:53:24 > 0:53:26'- it's God's will.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29'We can only hope he smiles on us tomorrow.
0:53:45 > 0:53:53We're going up this little channel, away from all the other boats, to try and find a Basra Reed Warbler nest.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56It's one of the indigenous species
0:53:56 > 0:53:59to the marshes and, as its name suggests,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02this is really one of the only parts of the world where it's found.
0:54:04 > 0:54:11According to Azzam's survey teams, Basra Reed Warblers were nesting here last year.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16We're hoping that the drying of the marshes hasn't prevented their return.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19It's over here. Can you see it, David?
0:54:19 > 0:54:22'Steve spots a nest.'
0:54:22 > 0:54:24If necessary, I'll go and stand in the water and do it.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27'But is it still in use?'
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Let's go back there.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06'We're in luck, and we get our first view
0:55:06 > 0:55:10'of one of the world's rare birds, a Basra Reed Warbler.
0:55:17 > 0:55:23'Its unspectacular appearance belies the magnitude of the moment.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27'This bird, which breeds here and virtually nowhere else,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32'embodies the spirit of the Mesopotamia Marshes.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35'If it can recover, then it speaks volumes
0:55:35 > 0:55:38'for the whole rehabilitation project.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53'And despite the drought, surveys show its breeding range
0:55:53 > 0:55:59'is greater now than at any time since 2003.'
0:55:59 > 0:56:02This is what I love about my job.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05This is what makes you work harder,
0:56:05 > 0:56:08to make other places come back.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Yeah, this is the best part.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19'Successes like this are part of what keeps Azzam and his colleagues going.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23'And if the challenges ahead over water supply
0:56:23 > 0:56:28'or any other threat seem daunting, it's important to remember
0:56:28 > 0:56:29'the progress made
0:56:29 > 0:56:34'after the virtual destruction of this unique environment.'
0:56:44 > 0:56:48'Whenever I'm inside the marshes, I feel at peace,
0:56:48 > 0:56:52'listening to sound of the wind going through the rushes,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55'the sound of birds calling in the distance.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57'It's wonderful
0:56:57 > 0:57:02'to have that feeling back again, especially when you contrast it'
0:57:02 > 0:57:05to 2003, when there was nothing
0:57:05 > 0:57:08but desert and sand in your ears and nose.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15It's that contrast, between the devastation wrought by Saddam,
0:57:15 > 0:57:19and the areas of marshes that have been restored,
0:57:19 > 0:57:21that continues to give hope.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Not just for the Mesopotamian Marshes, but also for other
0:57:25 > 0:57:29parts of the world that have suffered because of mankind's lack of respect.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36In many ways, the restoration of the marshes mirrors the restoration of Iraq -
0:57:36 > 0:57:40two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44But you know what? Directionally, we're on the right track.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48The future's good, all you need is
0:57:48 > 0:57:52to have the will and persist.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56And if we can restore this, Iraq can be restored too.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Subtitles by RED BEE MEDIA LTD
0:58:29 > 0:58:32E-mail: subtitling@bbc.co.uk