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.
The Mauddud Formation was one of the important and widespread Lower Cretaceous period formations in Iraq. It has been studied in three wells (EB. 55, EB. 58, and EB. 59) within the East Baghdad Oil Field, Baghdad, central Iraq. 280 thin sections were studied by microscope to determine fauna, the formation composed of limestone and dolomitized limestone in some parts which tends to be marl in some parts, forty species and genus of benthic foraminifera have been identified beside algae and other fossils, three biozones have been identified in the range which is: Orbitolina qatarica range zone (Late Albian), Orbitolina sefini range zone (Late Albian – Early Cenomanian) and Orbitolina concava range zone (Early Cenomanian), The age of
... Show MoreThe current study aimed to assessing the water quality and discussing the hydrochemical characteristics and seasonal variation of surface water on the aspect of metals in Shatt-Al-Hilla, Babil Governorate, Central Iraq. Water samples were collected from eleven sampling sites of Shatt Al-Hila for wet season in March (18/3/2018), and a dry season in July (30/7/2018).
Surface water samples were analyzed for physiochemical parameters such as water temperature pH, EC, TDS, major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO42-, Cl-, and HCO3-), nutrients (NO3-, and PO43-) for both seasons and DO for one season
... Show MoreThe petrophysical analysis is very important to understand the factors controlling the reservoir quality and production wells. In the current study, the petrophysical evaluation was accomplished to hydrocarbon assessment based on well log data of four wells of Early Cretaceous carbonate reservoir Yamama Formation in Abu-Amood oil field in the southern part of Iraq. The available well logs such as sonic, density, neutron, gamma ray, SP, and resistivity logs for wells AAm-1, AAm-2, AAm-3, and AAm-5 were used to delineate the reservoir characteristics of the Yamama Formation. Lithologic and mineralogic studies were performed using porosity logs combination cross plots such as density vs. neutron cross plot and M-N mineralogy plot. Thes
... Show MoreThis study is based on samples taken from one of the main branches of Tigris River; Gharaf River, at Kut Barrage in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. It aimes to study the quantity and quality of the mollusca Invertebrates; furthermore. The study evaluates the molluscan biodiversity of the rivers by using appropriate biodiversity indexes. Thus, the first of its kind study in the evaluation of the diversity of mollusc in Gharaf River assemblage. Monthly samples were collected randomly from the river mud, for 12 months, from January till December 2016. During the collection process; 5 stations on the river were chosen for sampling with 10(±1) Km distance between each of the stations, including Wasit Governorate. The study showed the
... Show MoreWere studied some bacteria evidence of pollution as well as the total number of live bacteria in the waters of the Diyala river and selected five stations within the 17 km final Diyala River before its mouth in the Tigris River was the first before the new bridge of the Diyala River about 4 km and the second after the mouth of the water purification plant Rustumiya suit inverselywith temperatures
Purpose: In view of the trend toward using international financial reporting standards when generating financial statements, we looked at the interaction between audit services and non-audit services for auditors in the context of actuarial services for insurance firms. CPAs are authorized to work in banks and insurance businesses, but those with a practicing license obtained after earning a higher academic degree are not. Design/methodology/approach: A small number of auditing firms control the decisions issued by the Iraqi Accountants Association, monopolizing audit services in banks and insurance businesses. In the case of actuarial services used in reserve estimation, they are credited to an external party's account withou
... Show MoreThis study includes a palynological and organic geochemical evaluation of Nahr Umr, Zubair, and Yamama Formations in the Subba field, Southern Iraq, represented by three wells (Su-14, Su-9 and Su-8). The determination of quantity organic matter showed that the rocks of Nahr Umr Formation had a total organic carbon of 4.76%, indicating very good production of hydrocarbons where type (II) kerogen was dominant, but the rocks were thermally immature. Zubair Formation had a total organic carbon of 1.91% to 2.26%, indicating good to very good production of hydrocarbons where kerogen of types (I) and (II/III) were dominant, with low thermal maturity. Yamama Formation showed a total organic carbon of 1.68%, revealing good production of hydrocarb
... Show MoreThe climate parameters (rainfall, number of rainy days and temperature) data for about seventy years from 1941 – 2009 for three Iraqi meteorological stations (Diwaniya, Nasiriya, and Kut) were investigated and gave good evidence of climate change. As well as the climatic water balance and the climatic conditions were determined at Karbala meteorological station for the years (1982-2015). The annual precipitation for Karbala station-reflect declination from 105 mm for the period 1982-1990 to about 71 mm for the years 2011- 2015 confirms the effect of global climate change. Analyzing Karbala climate parameters reflects that the total annual rainfall is (89 mm), evaporation is (2984 mm), while the mean monthly relative humi
... Show MoreThe rapid development of information technology and its use in all areas has had a positive impact on all areas, and financial markets have had a share of this development through the use of an electronic trading system to settle transactions, enhance transparency and disclosure in all activities of these markets and revitalize their performance.
The reason for choosing this topic is that it is a very important topic for what modern technology addresses in trading operations in financial markets. It is worth noting that these innovations have eliminated the need for direct contact with people, but through the Internet and telephone networks, and the new technology has reduced the costs of building systems
... Show MoreThis study analyzes how to make use of the resources in the marshlands of Iraq and how to utilize them, especially after the water returns to these areas and they are revitalized. We take an example of AL- Saheen Marsh and plan an ideal tourist resort there. This example can further expand to include other parts of the marshlands. The resort will utilize the local environment and tourist characteristics as it will have a feel and architectural resemblance to the houses and buildings that are currently built there. In addition the transportation methods will be the same as those used by the locals. Yet the resort will still posses all the facilities required by a modern tourist resort that includes all the services that will make
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