Eden in Iraq WasteWater Garden Project

Project begin: 14/04/2014

The Eden in Iraq team and artist Meridel Rubenstein have teamed up to create a public wastewater garden providing effective sewage treatment for the Marsh Arab community, while preserving and celebrating its traditions.

Leading organisation: Nature Iraq NGO

The country where the team is based: Iraq

Theme: Biodiversity, Education for Sustainable Development, Hydrology, Local and Indigenous Knowledge

Sub-themes: Access to water, Cultural diversity, Environment, Environment, Groundwater management, Knowledge sharing, Knowledge sharing, Natural resource management, Sustainable lifestyles, Sustainable lifestyles, Sustainable living, Waste management, Waste management, Water education, Water resource management, Water sanitation, Water scarcity and quality, Water science

Selection: 2020/2021

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Eden in Iraq team at Moh Shrine

The marshes in southern Iraq, formed by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, are home to one of humanity’s oldest cultures. The Marsh Arabs developed a unique way of life based on the resources of the marsh, once the third largest wetland in the world.

Since Saddam Hussein’s demise in 2003, 300,000 expelled Marsh Arabs have returned to re-green and restore their violently drained marshes, with the help of NGO Nature Iraq. The rapid return of inhabitants has led to serious sewage and health problems.

Using technology to promote health & culture

The Eden In Iraq water remediation project aims to use simple, sustainable wastewater recycling technology to support a garden that embodies the rich cultural heritage of the Marsh Arab community. The wastewater will go into a “subsurface flow wetland” that transforms organic material into mineral substances using bacteria. This cleans the wastewater while simultaneously providing nutrients for the plants and fruit trees.

The first Public Wastewater Garden will be built in El Chibaish with the capacity to treat sewage wastewater from 7,500 inhabitants. The team then hopes to replicate the project elsewhere in Iraq.

Despite the challenging health and political situation in Iraq at the moment, the project team is more determined than ever to bring this solution to life.

More about the Eden in Iraq Wastewater Garden Project?

www.edeniniraq.com