Ecosystems provide humans with services that include benefits from food, fresh water, climate regulation, and socio-economic assets. The Mesopotamian marshlands are among the largest wetlands in the Middle East and they provide various benefits. However, ecosystem services of the Marshlands are consistently undervalued in national economic analysis and decision making. This study focusses on the Central Marshes, the first National Park in Iraq, and is the first attempt at valuing a series of ecosystem services from a valuable natural ecosystem in Iraq. We adopted the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-Based Assessment (TESSA) for the determination of biophysical and economic values of services at the site level. Data on key ecosystem services (as determined by 30 interviews with residents of the Marshes) included the trading of fish, harvested plants, water buffalo milk, and fodder were collected across six months in 2014. We valued the ecosystem services within the CM (40,000 ha) over a 6-month period to have a total value of 860,078.23 USD. This estimated total value was the sum of 86,637.25 USD from harvested plants, 551,334.80 USD from trading fish, 167, 303.70 USD from trading water buffalo milk, and 54,804.00 USD from trading fodder. The average income per individual in Iraq in 2014 was 6720 USD (World Bank data - https://data.worldbank.org/country/iraq): thus, the CM provided an average salary for 256 people. Our results provided greater understanding of the ecosystem services contributed by the Central Marshes and has highlighted the crucial role of nature in supporting sustainable well-being for humans living in the area. In addition, the results can be used to enhance local policy, to aid management plans of the National park, and to estimate lost and damage that could result from impact of climate change on the area.
Water produced from power plants is one of the most important sources of water pollution, especially for areas like Baghdad, Contaminated industrial wastewater is a major environmental challenge due to the rapid growth of industries, leading to increased accumulation of harmful pollutants in water resources, the work is intended to study the impact of water generated from a power plant in the south on the level of heavy metals before and after the treatment process and after its discharge to the Tigris River. Objective is to determine the extent of heavy metals such as iron, copper, chromium, and zinc concentration in water extracted from various points and subsequently study the monthly variations of these elements with a view to assessmen
... Show MoreThe Quantitative high-resolution planktonic foraminiferal analysis of the subsurface section in three selected wells in the Ajeel Oil Field (Aj-8, Aj-12, and Aj-15) in Tikrit Governorate, Central Iraq has revealed that Shiranish Formation deposited in Late Campanian- Latest Maastrichtian age. This formation consists mainly of marly and marly limestone yielding diverse planktonic foraminiferal assemblages and calcareous benthic foraminifera, with a total of 46 species that belong to 23 genera, Three zones and four subzones, which cover the Late Campanian to the Latest Maastrichtian, were identified based on the recorded planktonic foraminifera and their ranges. They are as follows:1. Globotruncana aegyptiaca Zone that dated to be Lat
... Show MoreThe educational service one of activities which have great effect in the city life and it's community which considered as an affective instrument for the social and civilized construction and its role in the development of culture and determining the general features of the society. Therefore planning for educational service is considered as a necessary for economical, social and cultural conditions in the Arab community lives in general and the Iraqi community in special. The educational service buildings and distribution forms an insurmountable obstacle in the urban areas. So the balance distribution in Baghdad presents an indication to ensure the equality of educational opportunities besides the correlation of these institutes with th
... Show MoreIntroduction and Aim: Beta-thalassemia is a serious inherited genetic disorder and an increasing health burden globally. Beta -thalassemia is caused by genetic globin abnormalities within the hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene. This study aimed to characterize the HBB gene mutations in beta -thalassemia among southern Iraqi patients. Materials and Methods: The study included 30 beta -thalassemia patients referred to the Thi-Qar Center for Genetic Diseases, Iraq and 15 control samples from a random group of apparently healthy individuals. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood sample collected from each individual. The DNA was amplified for specific regions of the HBB gene and the amplified products sequenced. The sequences generated were analysed for
... Show MoreThis study aimed to evaluate the reservoir petrophysical properties (porosity, water saturation, and permeability) for optimal flow unit assessment within the Sadi Formation. Utilizing open hole logging data from five wells, the Sadi formation was divided into two rock units. The upper unit (A) is 45-50 meters thick, mainly consisting of limestone, mainly consisting of shaly limestone at the lower part. The lower unit (B) has a thickness of approximately 75-80 meters and is primarily composed of limestone, further subdivided into three subunits (B1, B2, B3). The average water resistivity is 0.04 ohm-m, and the average mud filtrate resistivity is 0.06 ohm-m. The Pickett plot was utilized to determine Archie parameters (tortuosit
... Show MoreThis research aims to identify the level of extension administration performance under comprehensive quality standards from the perspective of the working staff in agricultural extension at the level of the general extension body and agricultural directorates and agricultural division.this was to identify the extension administration performance under comprehensive quality standards from the perspective of vegetables growers , random sample was selected from the central region governorates Baghdad , Diyala , Babel , karbala and Al-Najaf , a random sample from the workers in the general body numbered 56 employee , sample of staff working in agricultural extension was selected at the level of agricultural directorates in proportion
... Show MoreMany important archaeological sites in Iraq still need to be preserved. Some of these sites were subjected to destruction and negligence. So, exploring these sites represents a priority for its protection. A 2D Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) as a non-invasive geophysical survey method was implemented at a part of the Borsippa archaeological site near Babylon to search for the subsurface archaeological artefacts/structures. Electrical resistivity measurements were carried out using a Dipole-Dipole array. Steps were taken to process and filter using Horizontal profiles, forward modelling, and 2D inverse models to analyze the resistivity measurements. The ERI inversion results show that the superficial conductive zone produced va
... Show MoreParasitological investigation of piscivorous birds in Al-Hammar marsh south of Iraq during December-February 2004 and December 2005 were revealed that water birds infected with five nematode species, which belong to three different superfamilies, Desmidocercella numidica (Seurat, 1920) (Superfamily: Aproctoidea) from three piscivorous birds including Grey heron Ardea cinerea, Bittern Botaurusstellaris, and small white heron Ardeola ralloides; Avioserpens sp. 1 and Avioserpens sp. 2 (Superfamily: Dracunculoidea) from small bittern Ixobrychus minutus and black glossy ibis Plegadisfalcinellus respectively; Baruscapillaria sp. and Baruscapillarinae gen. sp. (Sup
... Show MoreUm-Al-Naaj region in Al-Hawiezah Marsh, Southern Iraq was chosen to study the environmental variations of some water characteristics during 2008, seasonally. The results showed clear seasonal changes in values of some environmental variables (temperature, depth, light penetration, turbidity, total suspended solids, pH, dissolved oxygen, reactive phosphate, reactive nitrite, and reactive nitrate), while there were no clear seasonal changes in electrical conductivity and salinity values. In addition, high nutrients concentrations and light penetration were noted. Statistical analysis showed significant positive relationship between air and water temperature; electrical conductivity and salinity. Water turbidity was significantly affecte
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