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.
Bringing about urban, economic, and social changes in rural areas similar to those occurring in urban areas aims to reduce urban-rural disparities by providing services in those areas, decentralizing the management of these services, expanding citizen participation in local governance (decentralized administration), and achieving comprehensive development, developing and empowering localities, and keeping pace with new transformations and their impacts on the functions of the center and localities. In fact, the lack of clarity of the role of local government in planning and managing services has hindered development plans, and declined the level of services in rural areas, and has negative
... Show MoreThis paper includes studying the microfacies evalution of Mauddud Formaion in
four wells(Rt-2, Rt-5, Rt17 and Rt-19). Seventy-seven(77) sampels were collected
of above mentioned wells. Based on fossil content of the samples under study, four
main microfacies were identified: packstone , wakestone , grainstone and lime
mudstone microfacies ,which deposited in shallow open marine and restricted
marine environments. Petrographic examination of thin section indicated that
diagenesis vary in intensity from one site to another, such as dissolution,
cementation, compaction, dolomitization and micritization, which led to the
improvement and deterioration of porosity. The dominant pore types are vuggy,
interparticle and
Background: Pharmacy internship programmes are driven by most developed countries to outweigh the ongoing growth in the pharmacy career which encourages pharmacists to play a significant role as healthcare providers. Objectives: This study examines pharmacy students' perception, satisfaction, challenges, and limitations with the internship curriculum. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with different elements to examine students' perceptions of various aspects. Result: Most students reported a positive impression regarding their internships, however, they were less satisfied with the allowance for filling prescriptions and compounding also, the college's follow-up was inadequate. F
... Show MoreWith the increasing integration of computers and smartphones into our daily lives, in addition to the numerous benefits it offers over traditional paper-based methods of conducting affairs, it has become necessary to incorporate one of the most essential facilities into this integration; namely: colleges. The traditional approach for conducting affairs in colleges is mostly paper-based, which only increases time and workload and is relatively decentralized. This project provides educational and management services for the university environment, targeting the staff, the student body, and the lecturers, on two of the most used platforms: smartphones and reliable web applications by clo
One of the most important problems that would continuously face the Higher education organizations is how to improve the service level presented by them, and how this can lead to increase demand for services of this organizations.As this issue has exhausted many organizations pushed some of them to withdraw from the market Because of weaknesses in their services. Here lies the importance of this matter to be given more attention in order to maintain the organization competitive position. According to that, The selection of the research title (The Impact of Quality on the Level of the University Service Request) which seeks to measure the impact of service quality on the level of demand, At a time when world&
... Show MoreBackground: Although underdeveloped in Iraq, telehealth was one tool used to continue health service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim: To assess women’s experiences and satisfaction with gynaecological and obstetric telehealth services in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Free telehealth services were provided by 4 obstetrician-gynaecologists associated with private clinics in 2020–2021. All patients who accessed the services between June 2020 and February 2021 were invited to complete a postconsultation survey on their experience and satisfaction with services. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression conducted using SPSS version 25. Results: A total of 151 (30.2%) women re
... Show MoreAquatic Oligochaetes community in the Iraqi southern marshes, Al- Hawiezah, Al-Chibayish and Al-Hammar, have been studied for the period from July 2006 to June 2007. Two sites within each marsh, in addition to a reference site located at Shatt Al-Garma, have been chosen for sample collection using Ekman dredge. The results revealed that the highest average annual density was 16800 individual / m2 recorded in Al-Hawiezah marsh, while in Al-Chibayish and al-Hammar marsh the density did not exceed 5111 individual/m2. In contrast, the density of Oligochaetes recorded in Shatt Al-Garma was about 10500 individual / m2. The highest monthly density was recorded in April 2007.The highest local percentage occurrence was 96% recorded in Al-Hawiezah ma
... Show MoreSeventeen samples of Hartha Formation in Balad (1) well, central Iraq, are studied on the basis of stratigraphic ranges of the recorded calcareous nannofossils for twenty species belonging to twelve genera. The studied section reveals three biozones arranged from oldest to youngest as follows; (1) Calculites ovalis Interval Biozone (CC19), (2) Ceratolithoides aculeus Interval Biozone (CC20), (3) Quadrum sissinghii Interval Biozone (CC21). These Biozones are correlated with other calcareous nannofossils biozones from both local and regional sections, leading to conclude the age of the Middle Campanian.
Rerecorded eighteen ostracode species that belong to eleven genera are identified,
... Show MoreAccurate and simple techniques for measurement of fluid rheological properties are important for field operations in the oil industry. Marsh Funnels are popular qualitycontrol tools used in the field for drilling fluids and they offer a simple, practical alternative to viscosity measurement. In the normal measurements, a single point (drainage time) is used to determine an average viscosity; little additional information is extracted regarding the non-Newtonian behavior of the fluid. Here, a new model is developed and used to determine the rheological properties of drilling muds and other non-Newtonian fluids using data of fluid density and drainage time collected from a Marsh Funnel as a function of viscosity. The funnel results for viscos
... Show MoreAccurate and simple techniques for measurement of fluid rheological properties are important for field operations in the oil industry. Marsh Funnels are popular quality-control tools used in the field for drilling fluids and they offer a simple, practical alternative to viscosity measurement. In the normal measurements, a single point (drainage time) is used to determine an average viscosity; little additional information is extracted regarding the non-Newtonian behavior of the fluid.
Here, a new model is developed and used to determine the rheological properties of drilling muds and other non-Newtonian fluids using data of fluid density and drainage time collected from a Marsh Funnel as a function of viscosity. The funnel results for