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It was the river that is said to have watered the biblical Garden of Eden and helped give birth to civilization itself.

But today the Tigris is dying.

Human activity and climate change have choked its once mighty flow through Iraq, where -- with its twin river the Euphrates -- it made Mesopotamia a cradle of civilization thousands of years ago.

Iraq may be oil-rich but the country is plagued by poverty after decades of war and by droughts and desertification.

Battered by one natural disaster after another, it is one of the five countries most exposed to climate change, according to the UN.

From April on, temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and intense sandstorms often turn the sky orange, covering the country in a film of dust.

Hellish summers see the mercury top a blistering 50 degrees Celsius -- near the limit of human endurance -- with frequent power cuts shutting down air-conditioning for millions.

The Tigris, the lifeline connecting the storied cities of Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, has been choked by dams, most of them upstream in Turkey, and falling rainfall.

An AFP video journalist travelled along the river's 1,500-kilometre (900-mile) course through Iraq, from the rugged Kurdish north to the Gulf in the south, to document the ecological disaster that is forcing people to change their ancient way of life.

Kurdish north: 'Less water every day'

The Tigris' journey through Iraq begins in the mountains of autonomous Kurdistan, near the borders of Turkey and Syria, where local people raise sheep and grow potatoes.

"Our life depends on the Tigris," said farmer Pibo Hassan Dolmassa, 41, wearing a dusty coat, in the town of Faysh Khabur. "All our work, our agriculture, depends on it.

"Before, the water was pouring in torrents," he said, but over the last two or three years "there is less water every day".

Iraq's government and Kurdish farmers accuse Turkey, where the Tigris has its source, of withholding water in its dams, dramatically reducing the flow into Iraq.

According to Iraqi official statistics, the level of the Tigris entering Iraq has dropped to just 35 percent of its average over the past century.

Baghdad regularly asks Ankara to release more water.

But Turkey's ambassador to Iraq, Ali Riza Guney, urged Iraq to "use the available water more efficiently", tweeting in July that "water is largely wasted in Iraq".

He may have a point, say experts. Iraqi farmers tend to flood their fields, as they have done since ancient Sumerian times, rather than irrigate them, resulting in huge water losses.

Central plains: 'We sold everything'

All that is left of the River Diyala, a tributary that meets the Tigris near the capital Baghdad in the central plains, are puddles of stagnant water dotting its parched bed.

Drought has dried up the watercourse that is crucial to the region's agriculture.

This year authorities have been forced to reduce Iraq's cultivated areas by half, meaning no crops will be grown in the badly-hit Diyala Governorate.

"We will be forced to give up farming and sell our animals," said Abu Mehdi, 42, who wears a white djellaba robe.

"We were displaced by the war" against Iran in the 1980s, he said, "and now we are going to be displaced because of water. Without water, we can't live in these areas at all."

The farmer went into debt to dig a 30-metre (100-foot) well to try to get water. "We sold everything," Abu Mehdi said, but "it was a failure".

The World Bank warned last year that much of Iraq is likely to face a similar fate.

"By 2050 a temperature increase of one degree Celsius and a precipitation decrease of 10 percent would cause a 20 percent reduction of available freshwater," it said.

"Under these circumstances, nearly one third of the irrigated land in Iraq will have no water."

Water scarcity hitting farming and food security are already among the "main drivers of rural-to-urban migration" in Iraq, the UN and several non-government groups said in June.

And the International Organization for Migration said last month that "climate factors" had displaced more than 3,300 families in Iraq's central and southern areas in the first three months of this year.

"Climate migration is already a reality in Iraq," the IOM said.

Baghdad: sandbanks and pollution

This summer in Baghdad, the level of the Tigris dropped so low that people played volleyball in the middle of the river, splashing barely waist-deep through its waters.

Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources blame silt because of the river's reduced flow, with sand and soil once washed downstream now settling to form sandbanks.

Until recently the Baghdad authorities used heavy machinery to dredge the silt, but with cash tight, work has slowed.

Years of war have destroyed much of Iraq's water infrastructure, with many cities, factories, farms and even hospitals left to dump their waste straight into the river.

As sewage and rubbish from Greater Baghdad pour into the shrinking Tigris, the pollution creates a concentrated toxic soup that threatens marine life and human health.

Environmental policies have not been a high priority for Iraqi governments struggling with political, security and economic crises.

Ecological awareness also remains low among the general public, said activist Hajer Hadi of the Green Climate group, even if "every Iraqi feels climate change through rising temperatures, lower rainfall, falling water levels and dust storms," she said.

South: salt water, dead palms

"You see these palm trees? They are thirsty," said Molla al-Rached, a 65-year-old farmer, pointing to the brown skeletons of what was once a verdant palm grove.

"They need water! Should I try to irrigate them with a glass of water?" he asked bitterly. "Or with a bottle?"

"There is no fresh water, there is no more life," said the farmer, a beige keffiyeh scarf wrapped around his head.

He lives at Ras al-Bisha where the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates river, the Shatt al-Arab, empties into the Gulf, near the borders with Iran and Kuwait.

In nearby Basra -- once dubbed the Venice of the Middle East -- many of the depleted waterways are choked with rubbish.

To the north, much of the once famed Mesopotamian Marshes -- the vast wetland home to the "Marsh Arabs" and their unique culture -- have been reduced to desert since Saddam Hussein drained them in the 1980s to punish its population.

But another threat is impacting the Shatt al-Arab: salt water from the Gulf is pushing ever further upstream as the river flow declines.

The UN and local farmers say rising salination is already hitting farm yields, in a trend set to worsen as global warming raises sea levels.

Al-Rached said he has to buy water from tankers for his livestock, and wildlife is now encroaching into settled areas in search of water.

"My government doesn't provide me with water," he said. "I want water, I want to live. I want to plant, like my ancestors."

River delta: a fisherman's plight

Standing barefoot in his boat like a Venetian gondolier, fisherman Naim Haddad steers it home as the sun sets on the waters of the Shatt al-Arab.

"From father to son, we have dedicated our lives to fishing," said the 40-year-old holding up the day's catch.

In a country where grilled carp is the national dish, the father-of-eight is proud that he receives "no government salary, no allowances".

But salination is taking its toll as it pushes out the most prized freshwater species which are replaced by ocean fish.

"In the summer, we have salt water," said Haddad. "The sea water rises and comes here."

Last month local authorities reported that salt levels in the river north of Basra reached 6,800 parts per million -- nearly seven times that of fresh water.

Haddad can't switch to fishing at sea because his small boat is unsuitable for the choppier Gulf waters, where he would also risk run-ins with the Iranian and Kuwaiti coastguards.

And so the fisherman is left at the mercy of Iraq's shrinking rivers, his fate tied to theirs.

"If the water goes," he said, "the fishing goes. And so does our livelihood."

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Twilight of the Tigris: Iraq's Mighty River Drying Up - Voice of America - VOA News

IT was the theme park tragedy that rocked America.

The horrifying death of an Iraq war hero who was thrown from a 208ft rollercoaster at 50mph at the Darien Lake Theme Park and Resort in Buffalo, New York.

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Sgt James Thomas Hackemer, 29, died in July 2011 after riding the Ride of Steel coaster during a family trip.

He had already overcome huge adversity after losing both his legs in a roadside bomb attackin 2008.

That forced him to have to relearn how to eat, speak and write, the US Department of Veteran Affairs wrote.

But after a long and tough recovery, James was enjoying being able to spend time with his loved ones once again.

And part of that was enjoying days out with his two young daughters and teenage nephew, who had all gone with him to the park on the day of his death.

James' nephew Ashton Luffred, then 19, told news outlets his uncle said: "Im going to put my hands up when we go down."

But what unfolded would be a scene from a horror movie.

Eyewitnesses looked on as he fell around 150ft to his death.

The ride rules had required that riders have both legs, investigators said.

James had not been wearing his prosthetic legsat the time of the incident.

Luffred told The New York Post: "The last time I saw him was when he was flying out.

"He didnt have anything holding him down.

"By the time Id realized that he was pretty far out of the seat, he was too far for me to grab, and at that speed, even if I were able to catch his shirt, it wouldnt have done much."

Hackemer was at the front of the coaster when he fell to his death.

His family said no questions were asked about the disabled veteran's decision to ride by operators.

State labor authorities said in 2011 they were found to not have been properly trained to observe safety rules, Reuters reported.

The Labor Department said: "The Parks safety and operational requirements, which were visibly posted at the entrance to the Ride of Steel, were not followed by the ride operators.

"These rules require that riders have both legs because the safety devices restrain the legs, shins, and lap to hold the rider safely in the rides car."

James' family later sued Darien Lake Theme Park and Resortfor wrongful death.

A seven-figure settlement was reached in 2013, the Associated Press reported.

James' sister, Jody Hackemer, said: "He was determined to ride every roller coaster.

"That minute he was on that ride, he probably felt the happiest and most normal he's felt in three and a half years."

"He always said the wittiest things to make people laugh, and nine times out of 10 it was directed at himself," Jody added.

"He had a thirst for life and wanted to do as much as possible."

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Chilling last words of Iraq war hero, 29, before death plunge from 208ft rollercoaster in tragedy that... - The US Sun

Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini was visiting Tehran with her family when she encountered the notorious morality police and died after a "violent blow to the head", her cousin living in Iraq said.

"Jhina's death has opened the doors of popular anger," said Erfan Salih Mortezaee, 34, using Amini's Kurdish first name and referring to the ongoing wave of protests that her death has sparked.

In a phone call after the young woman's death was announced, Amini's mother told him what happened when her 22-year-old daughter was detained, Mortezaee said.

AFP spoke with Mortezaee in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region -- bordering Amini's native Kurdistan province in Iran -- where he has been living for a year.

There he joined Iranian Kurdish nationalist group Komala, which has conducted a long-running cross-border insurgency against the Tehran authorities, seeking autonomy for Kurdish-populated areas of northwestern Iran.

Read more: Explained: Iran's morality police, hijab and violent protests over woman's death

Mortezaee said that, before starting university, Amini had gone to Tehran with her parents and 17-year-old brother to visit relatives.

On September 13, Amini, her brother and female relatives went out in the capital.

On leaving the Haghani underground station, "the morality police stopped them, arresting Jhina and her relatives," Mortezaee said.

Wearing military fatigues and speaking at a Komala base in the Sulaimaniyah area of northern Iraq, Mortezaee said Amini's brother tried to tell the police that they were "in Tehran for the first time" and "did not know the (local) traditions".

But his appeals fell on deaf ears.

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Mahsa Amini died of 'blow to the head': family in Iraq - Hindustan Times

In 2018, Peace Winds began a project to upgrade shelters in four Syrian refugee camps in Erbil Governorate, Iraq with a grant from the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). Since 2020, Peace Winds has expanded similar activities with this grant to two Syrian refugee camps in Duhok Governorate. In 2022, we assisted another 1,074 families, and by August 2022, we had upgraded shelters of a total of 3,883 Syrian refugee households, providing them more durable futures and increased safety and dignity.

Since 2022, because this project focuses on adults and children with disabilities, older persons, pregnant women, and other refugees facing barriers to mobility, Peace Winds teams have also improved public infrastructure in Syrian refugee camps in Erbil. In 2022, access to another 26 camp public facilities was improved, bringing the total to 68 camp infrastructure improvements by August 2022.

The shelter and infrastructure upgrades utilize the cash-for-work model successfully implemented by Peace Winds in other projects to provide income opportunities, develop skills, and increase self-reliance. Rather than upgrading the shelters through local contractors, Peace Winds utilizes a cash-for-work approach that involves the targeted households in the process, providing them with opportunities to earn income, enhance skills, and take more ownership of their shelter upgrades. Households that cannot or choose not to perform the upgrade work themselves can choose other skilled or unskilled workers from the community or through the job centers in each camp. In 2022, 4,290 workers (978 of whom were women) were engaged in a cash-for-work activities.

On September 12, 2022, Peace Winds held a legacy event to present this project activities and achievements, inviting stakeholders from PRM, local authorities, camp managers of supported camps, UN agencies, NGOs, and business sectors. In addition to the presentation of the project activities and achievements, we held panel discussions, bringing together prominent actors from the regions humanitarian front with a focus on enabling livelihood and economic opportunities for displaced communities. The panel discussions provided an opportunity for a lively exchange of opinions with active participation from the audience.

Syrian Crisis, which began in March 2011, shows no sign of ending. There are still 250,000 Syrian refugees displaced in Kurdistan region of Iraq, where Peace Winds provides humanitarian assistance. We remain committed to improving the lives of refugee families, helping them regain the sense of safety and dignity that everyone deserves.

This project was funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of U.S. Department of State and generous donations from our supporters. Thank you for your continuing support.

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[Iraq] Peace Winds Has Completed Updating the Homes of about 3900 Syrian Refugee Families - Iraq - ReliefWeb

SULIMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) Dara Qureshi scrolls through the contacts on his phone, each name an alias for activists across the border in neighboring Iran, where protests have been raging for two weeks.

Qureshi, a member of one of many Iranian Kurdish opposition parties exiled in Iraq, responds to one of them, Brwa, who asks how to access Starlink, a satellite constellation operated by Elon Musks SpaceX, after the business magnate promised to allow Iranians affected by state-imposed internet restrictions to use it.

What is your advice, comrade? writes the unknown activist. Qureshi makes inquiries, knowing there are only a few precious minutes before the internet will cut out for the person on the other side.

The support that Kurdish exiles like Qureshi have given to protesters in Iran have fueled allegations by Iranian authorities that the protests, which have spread to over 40 cities, were entirely organized and buttressed by foreign elements.

But Iranian Kurdish exiles say their role is small. They say the Iranian government is trying to scapegoat them to divert attention away from the widespread anger fueling protests that erupted nationwide, have brought in multiple ethnic groups and have been focused on the governments treatment of women.

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The protests erupted after a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody. Morality police in the Iranian capital, Tehran, arrested her for allegedly not wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf properly.

Dara Quraishi, 39, from Bokan, Iran, poses for a photo in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq on Sept. 28, 2022. (AP/Hawre Khalid, Metrography)

This week, Iran sharply stepped up its military operations against Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, launching three sets of drone and missile attacks targeting their party bases in northern Iraq, killing at least nine. The strikes drew condemnation from Iraqi officials and the international community. Irans ambassador to Iraq was later summoned by the Foreign Ministry.

Iran also has cracked down on others after Aminis death, announcing Friday that it has arrested nine foreigners over the demonstrations.

The London-based Amnesty International said Friday it has acquired leaked government documents showing that Iran ordered its security forces to severely confront protesters. It said security forces have killed at least 52 people since protests over Aminis death began nearly two weeks ago.

Iranian state TV has reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17. Hundreds of people have been arrested.

The Kurdish opposition parties say their reach is limited to majority Kurdish regions in western Iran.

A protester shows her support for the Iranian women outside the UN headquarters in Erbil on Sept. 24, 2022. (AP/Hawre Khalid, Metrography)

Its true the political parties here issued a call for protests, but the ones who went into the street and organized are inside Iran; it has nothing to do with party proclamations, said Rosaline Kamangir, 32, an Iranian womens rights activist and a Kurd who is regularly in touch with female protesters inside Iran.

The organizers are local, and perhaps they see eye-to-eye with the parties, ultimately they are acting based on their own beliefs, she said.

The opposition groups jointly issued calls for a general strike and protests in the western Kurdish region of Iran after the death of the 22-year-old Amini.

With her family origins in the Kurdish city of Saqqez, Aminis death has sparked particular anger in Irans Kurdish regions. Kurds refer to her by her Kurdish name, Zhina. Iranians often have an official name and another they use more regularly, and Mahsa is a Persian name on her official records.

Women chant slogans and hold up signs depicting the image of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of Iranian authorities, during a demonstration denouncing her death held by Iraqi and Iranian Kurds outside the UN offices in Arbil, the capital of Iraqs autonomous Kurdistan region, on September 24, 2022. (Safin Hamed/AFP)

The Kurdish majority areas are home to a decades-old separatist movement that precedes the 1979 Islamic revolution, and in past decades it has morphed into a low-level guerrilla insurgency that trades fire with Irans Revolutionary Guard.

But the protests have not taken a particularly Kurdish nationalist tone. Instead, as in the rest of the country, Amini has become a symbol of the oppression of women, rallying anger against Irans repressive policies. Many women protesters burned their hijabs during the rallies and cut off their hair.

I didnt know Mahsa, but her death pushed me to protest, said Nisreen, a woman in the Kurdish Iranian town of Bukan. Her death made me angry. Women in Iran are oppressed, we have no opportunities, the 34-year-old said, speaking to the AP via WhatsApp on condition her last name not be used, fearing reprisal.

The first protest she attended in Bukan began peacefully, then the shooting and arrests started, she said. On one occasion, the person standing next to her was hit.

Opposition parties have clout in her area, she said. But that is not why I am protesting.

Every household in Irans Kurdish regions knows someone linked to the Kurdish opposition parties in exile or has a family member who belongs to them, activists and residents said.

Banned inside Iran, the main parties based in Iraq are the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran; Komala, which has Marxist leanings; and the Kurdistan Free Life Party, or PJAK.

Everyone among us has a relative protesting in Iran, everyone knows someone who has been arrested, said Kawser Fattahi, 33, a member of Komala, her fingers trembling while holding up a cigarette. Two of her cousins in Iran were taken and havent been heard from in a week, she said. Qureshis uncle was detained during a protest in Bukan.

Kawther Fatahi, 33, from Bokan poses for a photograph on Sept. 28, 2022.. She is been living in Iraqi Kurdistan for 10 years. (AP/Hawre Khalid, Metrography)

Fattahi had been at her Komala partys headquarters compound in the Iraqi Kurdish town of Koya when it was bombed in one of the Iranian strikes. She spoke to the AP in Sulimaniyah, where she arrived Wednesday.

After the bombings, party members dispersed from their compound and took up residence with friends or in the rugged mountains.

Fattahi left her hometown Bukan in Iran a few years ago, fearing arrest because of her political activities distributing party leaflets.

Her mother and brother are both protesting, she said. The last time she saw them was when they crossed the border illegally to see her some months back.

Like most party members she keeps two phones, one for daily use in Iraq and another, to speak to relatives and party affiliates back home.

Because of the danger in crossing the border from Iraq, the opposition parties presence and activities inside Iran have always been limited. Social media is used to encourage supporters to take part in protests and conduct general strikes, said Fattahi.

Iranian women hold signs during a vigil with the Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF) in solidarity with women in Iran who are fighting for their human rights, in West Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

But now, with widespread internet outages in Iran, their supporters have not been able to access social media.

Most of our communication requires the internet, said Qureshi. And when they call us, its always from an unregistered number.

Kamangir received hundreds of messages a day at the start of the protests in mid-September. Now she receives bursts of updates every two days, she said.

Today, its gone dark, she said.

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Kurdish exiles back Iran protests but deny orchestrating unrest - The Times of Israel