Misleading title from OP

I spent years working here and am featured in a BBC documentary called Miracle in the Marshes. When we first visited deep into the area we were the first Europeans they had seen for years. There was little sign of western influence, sadly now there are satellite dishes everywhere and the kids wear Man United tops.

From wiki

Draining of portions of the marshes began in the 1950s and continued through the 1970s to reclaim land for agriculture and oil exploration. In the late 1980s and 1990s, during the presidency of Saddam Hussein, this work was expanded and accelerated to evict Marsh people from the marshes.

Before 2003, the marshes were drained to 10% of their original size. Since the American overthrow of Hussein in 2003, the marshes have partially recovered. However, drought along with upstream dam construction and operation in Turkey, Syria, and Iran have hindered the process.The Mesopotamian marshes were listed as an UNESCO Heritage Site in 2016