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The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs
In 1991, the Marsh Arabs of Iraq revolted against the government of Saddam Hussein. Hussein responded by undertaking self-declared development projects in the Marshlands, draining the region of water. Without the ability to practice traditional economic and social activities, which relied on their p...
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AUC Knowledge Fountain
2017
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| _version_ | 1867613410816950272 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ramadan, Habiba |
| author_browse | Ramadan, Habiba |
| author_facet | Ramadan, Habiba |
| author_sort | Ramadan, Habiba |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. |
| description | In 1991, the Marsh Arabs of Iraq revolted against the government of Saddam Hussein. Hussein responded by undertaking self-declared development projects in the Marshlands, draining the region of water. Without the ability to practice traditional economic and social activities, which relied on their proximate environment, the majority of the Marsh Arab community was displaced. The project resulted in the desertification of an area nearly the size of the Aral Sea, what archeologists have described as environmental genocide. In 2003, the US government embarked on a restoration program to divert water back to the marshlands and improve the available social services in marsh region. The project has succeeded in restoring a significant proportion of the marshes. However, large numbers of the Marsh Arabs have not returned to the land, calling into question such a project’s ability to achieve more than environmental regeneration. This thesis examines the effects of environmental destruction and restoration on a community and its culture, using the Marsh Arabs as a case study. It asks whether the US-led environmental restoration program has restored the Marsh Arabs’ culture. This thesis argues that the Hussein’s development project led to cultural loss that was not rectified by the American restoration program. In making this argument the thesis examines changes in: a) the economic activities, daily tasks and routines of the Marsh Arabs; and b) the transmission of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to younger generations. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-1571 |
| institution | American University in Cairo (Egypt) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:35:42.290Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| publisherStr | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| spelling | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-1571 The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs Ramadan, Habiba In 1991, the Marsh Arabs of Iraq revolted against the government of Saddam Hussein. Hussein responded by undertaking self-declared development projects in the Marshlands, draining the region of water. Without the ability to practice traditional economic and social activities, which relied on their proximate environment, the majority of the Marsh Arab community was displaced. The project resulted in the desertification of an area nearly the size of the Aral Sea, what archeologists have described as environmental genocide. In 2003, the US government embarked on a restoration program to divert water back to the marshlands and improve the available social services in marsh region. The project has succeeded in restoring a significant proportion of the marshes. However, large numbers of the Marsh Arabs have not returned to the land, calling into question such a project’s ability to achieve more than environmental regeneration. This thesis examines the effects of environmental destruction and restoration on a community and its culture, using the Marsh Arabs as a case study. It asks whether the US-led environmental restoration program has restored the Marsh Arabs’ culture. This thesis argues that the Hussein’s development project led to cultural loss that was not rectified by the American restoration program. In making this argument the thesis examines changes in: a) the economic activities, daily tasks and routines of the Marsh Arabs; and b) the transmission of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to younger generations. 2017-02-01T08:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/572 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/1571/viewcontent/The_20Effect_20of_20the_20Development_20and_20Restoration_20Projects_20on_20the_20Culture_20of_20the_20Marsh_20Arabs_29.pdf The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Marsh Arabs Cultural Change |
| spellingShingle | Marsh Arabs Cultural Change Ramadan, Habiba The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title | The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title_full | The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title_fullStr | The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title_short | The effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of Marsh Arabs |
| title_sort | effect of the development and restoration projects on the culture of marsh arabs |
| topic | Marsh Arabs Cultural Change |
| url | https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/572 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/1571/viewcontent/The_20Effect_20of_20the_20Development_20and_20Restoration_20Projects_20on_20the_20Culture_20of_20the_20Marsh_20Arabs_29.pdf |
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