A study of the climate and human impact on the future survival of the Al-Sannya marsh in Iraq

The marshes are the most abundant water sources and ecological rich communities. They have a significant impact on the ecological and economic well-being of the communities surrounding them. However, climatic changes directly impact these bodies of water, especially those marshes which depend on rainwater and flooding for their survival. The Al-Sannya marsh is used as the example of marshes in Southern Iraq for this study between 1987–2017. The research takes place throughout the winter season due to the revival of marshes in southern Iraq at this time of year. The years 1987, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2014, 2017 are the focus of this study. Satellite imagery from the Landsat 5 (TM) and Landsat 8 (OLI) and the meteorological parameters affecting the marsh were acquired from NASA. The calculation of the areas of water bodies after classification using satellite imagery is done using the maximum likelihood method and comparing it with meteorological parameters. These results showed that these marshes are facing extinction due to the general change of climate and the interference of humans in utilising the drylands of the marsh for agricultural purposes. The vegetation area can be seen to have decreased from 51.15 km2 in 2000 to 8.77 km2 in 2017.