IRAQ-ENVIORNMENT-MARSHES

A buffalo swims on March 2, 2024 in Iraq's central Mesopotamian marshes, located in the Chibayish district of the southern Dhi Qar governorate, which has recently witnessed an increase in water levels as a result of the abundant rainfall following a long period or drought that had dried the marshland up. Even at their centre in Chibayish, only a few expanses of the ancient waterways -- home to a Marsh Arab culture that goes back millennia -- survive, linked by channels that snake through the reeds. Thanks to seasonal rain this winter, the wetlands have seen life go through them again and brought visitors back to to the area from across Iraq and even abroad. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP) (Photo by ASAAD NIAZI/AFP via Getty Images)