A unique area of wetlands has been destroyed and
with that
loss is the loss of many ecological functions, and wider international
implications. Such extensive hydraulic engineering changes affect
weather
patterns in neighboring countries. Salination and degradation of the
waters
affects the fisheries in the Gulf. Wetlands animals, flowers, reptiles,
insects
and birds have all been threatened with extinction due to habitat loss.
These
marshlands provided habitat for important populations of wildlife,
including
endemic and endangered species. The key role played by the marshlands
in the
inter-continental flyway of migratory birds, and in supporting coastal
fisheries endows them with a truly global dimension. For these reasons,
the
Mesopotamian marshlands have long been recognized
to constitute one of the world’s most significant wetlands and an
exceptional
natural heritage of the Earth.