Tigris River Flotilla

Waterkeepers Iraq and its sponsoring organization Nature Iraq joined the Nature Iraq Foundation in an extraordinary trip down the Tigris River to celebrate the history as well as document and raise awareness about the many threats facing the Tigris River.  The trip was conducted between 15 September and 15 October using traditional boats of Iraq (Tarada, Quffa and Kalak) as well as modern vessels (Maravia river rafts).  The trip started in southeastern Turkey and travel southward into Iraq to the Mesopotamian Marshlands.  Journeys such as this were described in a 1914 National Geographic story on Iraq but haven't been attempted in many decades.  We hope to reconnect the peoples of the region to their shared heritage, identify a network of individuals and groups along the River who want to work with Waterkeepers Iraq and Nature Iraq to protect our rivers and waterways. 

The RiverWatch Project  also contributed to this effort by monitoring water quality as the team traveled down the river and raised community awareness about the water quality of the river basin and the threats it faces. The related Mesopotamian Outreach Project of Nature Iraq brings in the element of transboundary, coalition-building and networking with other partners throughout the region and beyond to achieve the goal of nurturing the natural and cultural heritage of Mesopotamia, the land between the Euphrates and Tigris
 
See Flotilla Photos Here.
See the Flotilla Water Quality Data and Report Here.