Ecosystem Services of the Ahwar
The wellbeing of the Ahwar is crucial for the wellbeing of the people living in it. The ecosystem provides several key services for the Ahwar areas in particular, and for the wider Iraqi community in general. These include the provision of food, clean water, and climate control .
The daily life of the Ahwar communities is organically connected to the roles played by the marshes on both natural and cultural levels. Therefore, maintaining a balanced approach towards the development of the area requires a strong recognition for such services and benefits.
The main ecosystem services provided by the Ahwar include:
- The Provision Services: the Ahwar provide a wealth of wild and farmed foods, and
freshwater, genetic and biochemical resources. The biodiversity richness of the area has for millennia contributed to the production of these services in support of people and wildlife.
- The Regulating Services: the ecosystems of the Ahwar are important for controlling climate, water flow, water purification, and protection against natural risks such as flooding or drought. The Ahwar also mitigate the impacts of desert sand storms asproduction.
- The Cultural Services: the Ahwar provide unique cultural services which transform
into unique ethical, aesthetic and educational values. They exemplify the ancient marshlands where key civilizations developed and agriculture development was pioneered, contain numerous archaeological sites, and represent a long standing source of verbal norms and traditions for local inhabitants. They are thus significant for the tangible and intangible heritage of Iraq.
- The Supporting Services: the Ahwar sustain numerous supporting processes for the services mentioned above. This includes soil formation through organic matter recycling, continuous deposition, and the recycling of phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen back into air and soil.