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.
Diagenetic processes and types of pores that control the reservoir properties are studied for Mauddud Formation in selected wells of Badra oil field, central Iraq. The microscopic study of the thin sections shows the effects of micritization, cementation, neomorphism, dissolution, dolomitization, compaction, and fracturing on Mauddud Formation carbonate microfacies. The decrease of porosity is resulted from cementation, compaction, and neomorphism. Different types of calcite cement occlude pore spaces such as drusy cement, syntaxial rim cement, and granular (blocky) cement. The neomorphism of micritic matrix and skeletal grains reduces porosity as indicated by development of microspar or pseudospar. Evidence of decreasing porosity by com
... Show MoreThis research is focused on an interpretive of 2D seismic data to study is reinterpreting seismic data by applying sufficient software (Petrel 2017) of the area between Al-Razzazah Lake and the Euphrates river belonging to Karbala'a and Al-Anbar Governorates, central Iraq. The delineation of the sub-surface structural features and evaluation of the structure of Najmah and Zubair Formations was done. The structure interpretation showed that the studied area was affected by normal fault bearing (NW-SE) direction with a small displacement. In contrast, time and depth maps showed monocline structures (nose structures) located in the western part of the studied area.
This study aims to evaluate reservoir characteristics of Hartha Formation in Majnoon oil field based on well logs data for three wells (Mj-1, Mj-3 and Mj-11). Log interpretation was carried out by using a full set of logs to calculate main petrophysical properties such as effective porosity and water saturation, as well as to find the volume of shale. The evaluation of the formation included computer processes interpretation (CPI) using Interactive Petrophysics (IP) software. Based on the results of CPI, Hartha Formation is divided into five reservoir units (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2), deposited in a ramp setting. Facies associations is added to well logs interpretation of Hartha Formation, and was inferred by a microfacies analysis of th
... Show MoreA 3D geological model for Mishrif Reservoir in Nasiriyah oil field had been invented "designed" "built". Twenty Five wells namely have been selected lying in Nasiriyah Governorate in order to build Structural and petrophysical (porosity and water saturation) models represented by a 3D static geological model in three directions .Structural model showed that Nasiriyah oil field represents anticlinal fold its length about 30 km and the width about 10 km, its axis extends toward NW–SE with structural closure about 65 km . After making zones for Mishrif reservoir, which was divided into 5 zones i.e. (MA zone, UmB 1zone,MmB1 zone ,L.mB1 zone and mB2zone) .Layers were built for each zone depending on petrophysical propertie
... Show MoreThe present research aims to present a theoretical framework for the application of takaful insurance in Iraq, as well as to identify the level of impact on the development of insurance services in the Iraqi market, and to make recommendations and suggestions that lead to increased interest in this area, and thus contribute to the development and integration of insurance service in the Iraqi market,
The research adopted the descriptive analytical method, and the questionnaire was used to survey the opinions of the research sample consisting of department managers and their assistants and some employees of the graduate degrees in addition to employees of the departments of electronic calculator in the Iraqi insurance sector, and t
... Show MoreThe present research included sampling and analysis of 41 soil samples , the samples cover various areas of Nasiriyah city (industrial,commercial,residential and agricultural ) to estimate pollution levels of lead element and determine the correlation between lead concentration and natural factors in soil which represent sedimentary organic matter content, granular gradient, clay minerals and non-clay minerals . The results of the current study showed that the average concentration of lead in the soil samples was 61.12 ppm , it was noticed an increase in the concentration of lead in environmental components in the area of this study especially in residential , industrial and commercial location and the impact of natural factors of the so
... Show MoreThe Yamama Formation represents a part of the Late Berriasian-Aptian sequence, deposited during the Early Cretaceous period within the main shallow marine depositional environment. The studied area covers three oil fields; Sindbad oil field, Halfaya and Ad'daimah oil field, located in southeastern Iraq. Six major microfacies were recognized in the succession of the studied area represented by the Yamama Formation to determine and recognize depositional paleoenvironments. These microfacies are; Peloidal Packstone, Algal Wackestone to Packstone, Bioclastic Wackestone – Packstone, Foraminiferal Bioclastic Wackstone, Packstone, Peloidal – Oolitic Grainstone and Mudstone Microfacies. These microfacies are classified int
... Show MoreClastic-carbonate succession which including the Nahr Umr and Mauddud Formations are represented a part of Albian-Early Turonian Sequence (Wasi`a Group). The present study includes Petrography, microfacies analysis, depositional environment, digenetic development, and reservoir characterization for seven boreholes (Lu-2, Lu-4, Lu-5, Lu-8, Lu-13, Lu-14 and Lu-39) within Luhais Oil field South Iraq.
There are six type of carbonate microfacies were recognized in the Mauddud Formation:- Orbitolina - Milliolids wackestone to packstone Orbitolina wackestone to packstone, miliolids wackestone, Peloidal wackestone to packstone, Ooides to Peloids grainstone and bioclastic Wackestone - Packstone. These microfacies are represented three depositi
A geochemical and environmental study was carried out for the sediments of the Southern Neo-Tethys Ocean, represented by the Yamama Formation (Berriasian-Valaganian) in southern Iraq. The formation has a particular reservoir importance. The typical WQ-220 and WQ-280 wells were selected from the West Qurna field. Data of Gamma-ray logs were used for 30 depths of the typical well. Ten core samples were analyzed by X-Ray Fluoresces and total organic matter from both wells. The results showed that shaliness was relatively low, with an average of 16.5%, leading to a decrease in the presence of clay minerals and trace elements because the environment of the Yamama Formation is relatively far away from the coast. Qualitative evaluation of clay
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