Save the Tigris Foundation

**Important Update: UNESCO Responds to Our Concerns!** We are pleased to inform you that the World Heritage Centre has officially responded to our letter regarding the protection of the Iraqi Marshes. Their acknowledgment and commitment to take all necessary measures within their mandate is a significant step forward in our efforts to preserve this invaluable natural and cultural heritage. **Response from UNESCO ** *Ref: CLT/WHC/ARB/303/24/46* "We have taken due note of the information that you have provided. I also wish to assure you that UNESCO stands ready to take all necessary measures that are within our mandate in this regard. In the meantime, we invite you to continue to transmit to us any further relevant information that may arise. Thanking you for your continuous collaboration and support in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention." We are encouraged by #UNESCO's readiness to act and will continue to provide relevant information and collaborate closely with them. This positive development strengthens our resolve to push for urgent actions to: - Publish environmental impact assessment reports for oil projects transparently. - Conduct a comprehensive strategic environmental assessment of the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin. - Review water distribution policies to meet the marshes' water needs. - Grant national protection status to the marshes and strengthen relevant legislation. - Enhance cooperation with Turkey and Iran for sustainable management of shared water resources. We invite everyone to support our efforts and help preserve this natural heritage for a sustainable future. Share your opinions and support in the comments, and use the hashtags #IraqiMarshes #WorldHeritage #EnvironmentalProtection #SaveTigris #HumatDijlah to raise awareness of this crucial issue. Together, we can make a difference!

Last week, #Iraq celebrated the eighth anniversary of the inscription of the Iraqi #Marshes on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. This occasion reminds us of the importance of protecting this unique site, which represents an invaluable natural and cultural heritage. However, the Iraqi Marshes still face major threats, including environmental pollution, oil exploitation, and mismanagement of water resources. These challenges are deteriorating the marsh ecosystem and negatively impacting the lives of local residents. We call on the Iraqi authorities to take urgent measures to protect the marshes: - Publish environmental impact assessment reports for oil projects transparently. - Conduct a comprehensive strategic environmental assessment of the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin. - Review water distribution policies to meet the marshes' water needs. - Grant national protection status to the marshes and strengthen relevant legislation. - Enhance cooperation with Turkey and Iran for sustainable management of shared water resources. Save Tigris Foundation and its civil society partners are continuously monitoring the marshes and providing recommendations for their protection. We invite everyone to support our efforts and help preserve this natural heritage for a sustainable future. Share your opinions and support in the comments, and use the hashtags #IraqiMarshes #WorldHeritage #EnvironmentalProtection #ProtectorsofTigris #SAVETIGRIS #HUMATDIJLAH to raise awareness of this crucial issue. TO READ THE FULL LETTER TO UNESCO PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://lnkd.in/eA_rkYJT Together, we can make a difference!

A dream comes true tonight. For years I have wanted to make an opera in Iraq and The Netherlands about the ongoing watercrisis. For years, it was impossible to even imagine. But, many hands make light work. 'Brides of the Rain - Iraq' opens tonight in Sulaymaniyah in collaboration with major water-protectors in Iraq and the Netherlands with an amazing cast from Basra, Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Waterkeepers Iraq/Kurdistan Humat Dijlah Association Salman Khairalla Save the Tigris Foundation Sylva van Rosse Het Grote Midden Oosten Platform

Very excited being part of this!! Save the Tigris Foundation Sylva van Rosse Miranda Lakerveld IHE Delft Institute for Water Education Emanuele Fantini

Friday! A very special concert-performance of 'Brides of the Rain' with students of IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. The performance is for researchers/students of IHE, but there are some extra places available. Check the link below for more information. World Opera Lab Save the Tigris Foundation Humat Dijlah Association Salman Khairalla Emanuele Fantini Jesper Daniek Saman Sylva van Rosse #water #erfgoed #heritage #dialogue #policy #rivers https://lnkd.in/eKEGT89F

هەیاران و مەیاران, یاخوا داکاتە باران Oh Saints, may it rain, for the poor and impoverished, from the morning to the evening. The beginning of a Kurdish ritual to call for rain. Also the opening of the musical theatre piece 'Brides of the Rain' that World Opera Lab performed 3 times last week in Sulaymaniyah, with an amazing group of Iraqi and Kurdish musicians. According to ancient stories, Tiamet, Anahita and Anat, goddesses of ancient Mesopotamia, created the waters and rivers and protected them. Today, the land turned to a battlefield, we abuse the nature that embraced us and we dried up its rivers. The goddesses cry bitterly for help. In the midst of chaos, a gentle hope emerges: young people standing up to save the rivers, believing in their ability to restore purity in the world. This is a call to you to share their journey, for there is still hope, and the goddesses still await us. بۆ پارێزەرانی ئەو ئاوەی، کە ژیانمان پێدەبەخشێ. سوپاس شكرًا للذين يحمون المياه التي تمنحنا الحياة To the protectors of the water that gives us life: Thank you Humat Dijlah Waterkeepers Iraq/Kurdistan Het Grote Midden Oosten Platform Miranda Lakerveld Salman Khairalla Anwar Ahmed Jelle-Jochem Duits #rivers #nature #goddess #tiamet #anahita #anat #mythology #opera #GreenMENA #Kurdistan #Sulaymaniyah #Iraq

Save Tigris Foundation is proud to represent #Iraq and its #WorldHeritagesites in the World Heritage Watch committee. The 2024 World Heritage Watch Report reveals critical issues in protecting #UNESCO World Heritage Sites, covering various cultural and natural landmarks globally. Explore the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eaYUHDfu #WorldHeritage #SaveTheTigris #CulturalHeritage #EnvironmentalProtection #UNESCO

A dream comes true tonight. For years I have wanted to make an opera in Iraq and The Netherlands about the ongoing watercrisis. For years, it was impossible to even imagine. But, many hands make light work. 'Brides of the Rain - Iraq' opens tonight in Sulaymaniyah in collaboration with major water-protectors in Iraq and the Netherlands with an amazing cast from Basra, Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Waterkeepers Iraq/Kurdistan Humat Dijlah Association Salman Khairalla Save the Tigris Foundation Sylva van Rosse Het Grote Midden Oosten Platform

Brides of the Rain is a new musical theater production by musicians, artists, and water activists from #Europe, #Basra, #Baghdad, #Erbil, and #Sulaymaniyah. This collaboration weaves ancient mythologies to highlight the forces of nature and water issues. The first sketches were developed in Sulaymaniyah in July 2023, with initial performances in Amsterdam in May 2024. Upcoming shows in Sulaymaniyah are from June 12-14, organized with Save Tigris Foundation , Sanjat music ensemble, Waterkeepers Iraq/Kurdistan Iraq, and Humat Dijlah Association. “Brides of the Rain is inspired by an ancient Kurdish ritual,” says World Opera Lab director Miranda Lakerveld. The performance blends myth, music, and theater to spotlight water's sacred role and the urgent need to protect this resource. still another two nights there : https://lnkd.in/eDf-upce For more details, read here: https://lnkd.in/dMKz4PPB #BridesOfTheRain #MusicalTheater #WaterActivism #CulturalHeritage #Mesopotamia #WaterResources #EnvironmentalAwareness #Collaboration

Are you joining the Environmental Peacebuilding Conference next week? https://lnkd.in/e8XdE4EV If you have already registered to attend the conference, you are welcome to participate in the workshop that Rozemarijn ter Horst and Gül Özerol will facilitate on June 18th, 13.30-15.00. Together with Salman Khairalla from Save Tigris Foundation and Juliane Schillinger, we will first reflect on our experience in the Middle East. Then we will discuss with all participants how to deal with the cascading effects of conflict during the design, knowledge production, evaluation, and uptake phases of international cooperation and research. Join us to share your insights and explore ways forward towards reflexive and impactful practices in conflict-affected settings! Please also get in touch with us if you are interested in the topic but cannot join the conference. #EnvironmentalPeacebuilding #ConflictAffectedSettings #MiddleEast #Cooperation #Research #savetigris