‘It’s destruction disguised as progress’: how the oil industry is sucking Iraq’s ancient wetlands dry

Hawizeh's wetlands once had abundant fishing and wildlife. In a land threatened by drought and desertification, oil drilling is draining the last of the water

At dawn, a veil of mist clings to the canals of Hawizeh, where sky and water seem to blur into a mirror. In the stern of a narrow wooden boat, 23-year-old Mustafa Hashim scans the marshes' shallows, cutting the motor and switching to a traditional pole to avoid snagging on invasive roots or thickening mud.

It takes him about half an hour to push through the shrinking marshes to reach Um al-Nea'aj, once a vibrant lake teeming with boats and birdsong. Now, the water is about half a metre deep.