Citizen Science Tourism of the Iraq Marshlands

Abstract

Ensuring the restoration and protection of the Marshlands is vital not only for the ecosystem services they provide, but for maintaining and reconnecting the archaeological cultural identity of a region emerging uncertainly out of conflict. The Marshlands remain in a perilous state as they recover from near total decimation at the turn of the century, following maladministration, malice and militarisation. However, the value of the Marshlands and their cultural heritage is not fully recognised by local actors, as inadequate education results in limited recognition of their indirect economic benefits.

In spite of their captivating history, tourism is largely absent from the Marshlands. Historical and cultural highlights include antiquities from the cradle of civilisation, at the archaeological sites of Ur, Eridu and Uruk and the unique lifestyle of the Marsh Arabs, which has recently been revived from near total destruction. We believe it important to tell this story, doing so will empower local communities to reconcile the conflict, reconnect with their cultural heritage and appreciate the value of the marshes. As such, we propose new research into the marshland’s citizen science approaches.

Citizen science can open up to the public in areas affected by conflicts or insecurity, furthering their engagement and education and we propose it can play a role in sustainable tourism. Such a participatory approach will give tourists a greater stake in, provide valuable data to help ensure and the health and future protection of the Marshlands. Although foreign tourists are unlikely to visit in the near-future due to the on-going security situation, but technology can offer local benefits via virtual reality tourism. This would involve an immersive experience making the visitor feel as if they were there - e.g., taking a boat trip through the marshes with a real local tour guide, visiting a museum or archaeological site, or buying local produce.

This project aims to reconnect citizens in post conflict southern Iraq to their cultural and historical roots, which may help unite and heal and may pave the way for a more prosperous and sustainable society. It is a project to promote for achieving sustainable tourism in the region via citizen science approach. The research relied on the descriptive, quantitative and analytical approaches by reviewing a number of satellite data imageries tables, maps and data related to the research topic.