Farmers return to Shatt al-Hillah as water buffalo herds and fishermen reappear

BABYLON, Iraq — Water buffalo herds have returned to Shatt al-Hillah in Babil province after a severe drought between 2020 and 2024 caused river levels in the Tigris and Euphrates to drop sharply and reduced agricultural activity across central and southern Iraq. Haydar Saadi, a desertification and drought adviser to the Dhi Qar provincial council, said on February 24, 2026, that 98% of the province's wetlands and farmland had turned into barren land, more than 10,000 families had been displaced and over 15,000 water buffalo had died during the drought. Fish stocks in the region fell by around 90% during the same period, with biodiversity declining sharply. Recent increases in rainfall and snowmelt from Turkish sources over the past two years have partially revived rivers and marshlands in southern Iraq, allowing traditional buffalo farming and Hindiya clotted cream production to resume in the Shatt al-Hillah area. Local fishermen have also returned to the river with their boats for the new season. Former Water Resources Minister Awni Ziyab Abdullah said on February 9, 2026, that Iraq had experienced one of its driest periods due to climate change and dams built by Turkey on the upstream rivers, calling for stronger inter-institutional coordination to address the drought. United Nations reports have listed Iraq among the five countries most affected by the climate crisis.