Iraqi treasures lost to sandstorms - 5th May 2023

In Iraq, ancient treasures - around 4,000 years old - are now endangered by climate change. The world's earliest peoples, such as the Sumerian and Babylonian civilisations, once lived here. Their important sites are now disappearing again under the sand.

The historical site of Umm al-Aqarib is Sumerian. In recent decades, ancient objects were frequently stolen but nowadays it's the harsh climate which is the enemy. Expert Aqeel al-Mansrawi describes the effects of having no rain or greenery.

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."

According to the UN, Iraq's one of the top five countries which are most affected by climate change. With extreme summer temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius, farmers have given up their traditional lifestyles. The dusty landscape is no place for plants. Any water quickly evaporates and leaves salt behind, which is blown onto the ancient sites by sandstorms. This then damages the stones.

A project to surround the site with a ring of trees has been suggested, but it would need an investment of $3.8 million. Mansrawi feels it couldn't compete with the sandstorms.

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."

These valuable cultural sites may once more be hidden and lost forever under the desert sand.