Reply From UNESCO World Heritage Center to Save the Tigris on Ashur, the Ahwar and Makhoul Dam

11 June 2021

10 June 2021

Ref.: CLT/WHC/ARB/303/21/28

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to thank you for your letter of 19 May 2021, in which you have shared your concerns about the construction of Makhoul Dam in Iraq that would endanger the World Heritage site of Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat), as well as a number of other archaeological sites in the area. In addition, it could potentially pose a threat to the property of The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities.

Please note that the World Heritage Centre recognizes the serious threats posed by such a project, and has been following up this matter with the State Party and the Advisory Bodies since January 2021.

I would like to assure you that UNESCO stands ready to take all necessary measures that are within its 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, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

Mechtild Rössler Director

Tagged under:

• Ahwar
• Ashur
• Dams
• Iraq
• Makhool Dam
• Makhoul Dam
• marshes
• Tigris
• Tigris River
• UNESCO