Wind blows sand over ancient sites - 5th May 2023

In Iraq, climate change is a danger. The wind and dry weather bring problems.

The people of Sumer and Babylonia lived here thousands of years ago. Experts found important buildings. But now, the world's losing these special places.

In the past, people stole things from sites like Umm al-Aqarib. Historian Aqeel al-Mansrawi says the new problem is climate change.

Aqeel al-Mansrawi: "The recent climate changes greatly affected this site, so we see that quicksand began to cover this site. Large parts of this site were covered by quicksand as a result of drought and lack of cultivation in surrounding areas."

The United Nations says climate change is a big problem in Iraq. In the summer, temperatures can be 50 degrees Celsius. Now, farmers can't grow plants here. And plants hold water. So water dries up in the hot weather. It leaves salt. And this is bad for the ancient buildings.

There's a plan to grow trees here. It will cost $3.8 million. But for Mansrawi, it might be too late.

Aqeel al-Mansrawi: "With this massive increase of quicksand in this area, it will probably cover in the next 10 years, 80 to 90% of these sites. Even in the future, if excavation missions want to work in those sites, additional efforts will be needed to reveal some ruins."

Some of these old monuments are 4,000 years old. Now, the sand's taking them back.