Jul 23, 2012 · In the small southern Iraqi city of Qurna, an unusual shrine stands on the shore of the Tigris: a small, dead tree, protected by low brick walls and surrounded by a concrete plaza.

5 days ago · The loss of tree cover has further accelerated soil erosion and desertification. According to the UN Environment Programme, Iraq has lost 60% of its fertile land in the past 40 years. Water scarcity compounds the crisis, with nearly 20% of Iraq’s farmland at risk of turning into desert due to dwindling water supplies.

Nov 5, 2021 · Four years ago, the stream running through Iraq’s al-Hamra village dried up. Now, “all the trees have died”, said Abdullah Kamel who used to farm citrus fruit in the village in Saladin...

Al-Qurnah (Kurnah or Qurna, meaning connection/joint in Arabic) is a town in southern Iraq about 74 km northwest of Basra, that lies within the conglomeration of Nahairat. Qurna is located at the confluence point of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway. [2]

Dec 14, 2011 · A 1946 photograph from the Times of London of a small dead tree in southern Iraq, which was purported to be the Bible’s Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The caption suggested creating an international peace park on the spot. That’s weird, I thought, how could the Tree still be alive?

May 26, 2022 · Basra, Iraq – Southern Iraq was once known as the “black land” – the vast swaths of palm trees blocking out everything else, and providing food, shelter, and shade. But the palm trees, as well...

Jan 25, 2021 · “Most of the trees died due to water salinity and pollution. The main source of water coming to my land is from the Shatt al-Arab river, which has become a tank of poison rather than (a...

Apr 1, 2024 · After more than 50 years of death and destruction, government officials are planting more trees and turning their back on concrete as the country squares up to climate change. A shot of Erbil Citadel in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Oct 5, 2024 · Much of this comes down to illegal tree felling and forest fires — intensified by summer droughts — as well as military operations on Iraq's northern border. In the nursery — the oldest in Iraq — workers are busy unloading young saplings from a trailer which they then line up on a patch of land.

In Al-Qurna, the decayed trunk of a dead tree is standing there on a small platform behind a fence, on the shores where river Tigris merges with river Euphrates protected by low brick walls, and surrounded by a concrete plaza.