A buffalo herder from the Iraqi marshes tells Akeel Khreef about the threats to his herd, as rising temperatures lead to droughts and pollute the water.
“Because of the dryness and lack of water, the buffalo will drink from the marshes. It will get stuck in the mud. If the owner is not nearby it will die after two or three days,” he said.
The herder highlights the co-dependency of the ecosystem – as the rising temperatures cause fish to die, and water to become polluted, which in turns leads to more buffalo deaths, and no livelihood for the marsh Arabs.
“The buffalo herder’s living depends on herding buffalo. How can he make a living [otherwise]? He will be sad,” he said.
Follow Akeel Khreef’s journey here.
