The Iraqi authorities are procrastinating in providing half a kilogram of barley for al-reem, Iraq’s Arabian sand gazelles. The Iraqi natural reserves are not regulated by law and lack financial allocations and forage for their animals.

According to the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Program, Iraq has three natural reserves out of 82 sites that qualify as areas that host various types of animals and plants. Among the three reserves are Sawah Reserve and Al-Reem Reserve in Maysan, both known for their ongoing appeals to save their gazelle herds from starvation 

What is the problem with natural reserves in Iraq? 

Al-Reem Reserve is located in the district of Ali Al-Gharbi in Maysan Governorate. It was opened in 2012 and covers an area of 500 dunams, around 500,000 square metres. Al-Reem alone occupies 250 dunams, around 200,000 square meters of land that is not heavily vegetated. 

The reserve is a successful project, as it has consistently cared for gazelles. It started with 25 gazelles at its opening, with the current number at around 470, more than 200 of which are males, according to Majid Jumaa, the director of agriculture in Maysan 

The breeding season for gazelles begins in winter and they give birth in spring, at the end of March. The pregnancy lasts 5 to 6 months, and the female usually gives birth to twins, although she may sometimes have a single offspring. 

The newborn relies on its mother’s milk until about six months of age, after which it is weaned and becomes dependent on its survival skills. The male or female gazelles reach maturity at around 18 to 24 months. 

Iraq is one of the countries most affected by climate change, experiencing unprecedented drought in recent years. According to Gholam Issac Zai, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, in 2021 Iraq witnessed the second driest season in 40 years. The country experienced a decline in winter rainfall and a decrease in the flows of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which provide nearly 98 percent of Iraq’s surface water. 

All these factors contributed to the drought, which affected natural reserves, including the Al-Reem Reserve in the district of Ali Al-Gharbi in Maysan. The reserve suffers from water shortages, a lack of forage, and rising temperatures. Water shortages primarily prevent the growth of natural grass, which could be an alternative food for the gazelles. 

Authority that no one holds 

As shown in aerial photos, gazelles are everywhere in Al-Gharbi district nature reserve. They run gracefully in different directions within the reserve’s boundaries. The gazelle’s length ranges from 90 to 130 cm, while its weight varies by gender. The male weighs between 21 and 40 kilograms, while the female weighs between 17 and 34 kilograms, which gives them freedom of movement. 

Al-Reem Reserve is known for its geographical location, successful reproduction of gazelles, and ongoing appeal to save its gazelle herds from destruction. The Director of Agriculture in Maysan made more than three appeals during 2024, the latest being on August 15, when he called for providing forage for the gazelles. 

In his interview with Jummar, Majid Jumaa, the Director of Agriculture in Maysan, indicated that the reserve’s first problem is the lack of forage, which could lead to the gazelles’ starvation. The second problem, which also delays the arrival of forage, is the loss of the reserve’s authority. 

“The problem is that the decision to transfer authority was the beginning of the obstacles,” Jumaa explained, noting that the Agriculture Directorate informed the reserve’s officials that they did not have financial allocations. The governorate is still trying to solve the problem because the reserve is not included in the governorate’s budget. Meanwhile, the ministry claimed that they no longer have authority over the reserve. Who has authority over the reserve? The government does not know. 

Ten months ago, after several communications from the Agriculture Directorate, the Minister of Agriculture instructed the reserve to receive ten tons of animal feed barley. The reserve has not received anything, even though it is a ministry project. 

Amid war: Gazelles on the frontline

Like humans, the large numbers of gazelles that once roamed Iraq faced death, displacement, and destruction due to the wars waged on the country over the past four decades. 

According to Jabbar Hadi, the head of agricultural advisors at Al-Reem Reserve, the main goal of establishing the reserve is to preserve ecological and biological diversity and to protect what remains of the gazelle species, of which many have become extinct. 

The reserve was established to combat desertification in the region. It aimed to create a plant belt that helped halt the advance of sand into agricultural areas and to resettle the gazelles.

The reserve appears as a green spot in the vast desert, and the project has succeeded in helping gazelles to breed and increase their numbers, aiding them in adapting to their native environment once again. 
Despite this, the project faces difficulties in continuing due to drought, limited government allocations, and the lack of attention to the reserve’s appeals.  

Self-efforts: Final attempts 

 
Jumaa has witnessed years of drought over the past four years. Yet, he said they are trying to overcome the current conditions: “We planted approximately 100 dunams, around 1000 square metres, with animal feed,” which helps provide part of the needed crop. As for the remaining required crop, local farmers donate feed to assist the reserve. 

Jumaa added, “Some companies have donated rangeland plants, which the gazelles feed on. One important company in Basra donated a quantity, but the planting season has not yet arrived; the weather is very hot, and we can’t plant it till December. We also have many seedlings donated to us, which helps feed the animals.” 

According to Jumaa, the forage shortage extends for six months, from summer until January or February. This means the shortage coincides with rising temperatures and water scarcity, making cultivating forage to assist the reserve difficult. 

The 100 dunams cultivated by the reserve produces about 50 tons of barley, which helps the gazelles endure the forage shortage phase. Yet, this is not enough to feed them. Jumaa demands that the ministry provide a fixed share of the minimum consumption per gazelle, which is only half a kilogram. 

No water. No food 

 
Star Jabir, the official of the Al-Reem Reserve in Ali Al-Gharbi, believes that an irrigation system could solve the reserve’s drought issues. It could help create excellent grazing for the gazelles, which would address the forage shortage and stop reliance on barley. 

For the past two years, Jabir has been requesting the allocation of an irrigation system for 50 dunams, around 50,000 square meters, to overcome the drought and hunger that he says are pursuing the gazelles. 

The gazelles’ grazing diet depends on the season. It relies on herbaceous plants that grow after rainfall and, generally, on dry plants. 

Jumaa confirmed that water is not a problem for the reserve, as they use wells to supply water. However, the system requested by Star Jabir is for agriculture, as it would help cultivate barley to end food problems. 

The death of Sawah gazelles

 
Jumaa fears his gazelles may be afflicted. This fate has already occurred in Sawah Reserve in Al-Muthanna Governorate, southern Iraq. In 2022, several gazelles in the reserve died due to drought and a lack of financial allocations. According to a statement by veterinarian Turki Al-Jiyashi, the director of the Sawah Reserve project, half of the gazelles died due to starvation. Their number dropped from 148 to 87 within just one month. This is a fate that Jumaa fears may be repeated. 

 
Proposals to the Authorities 
Jumaa made several proposals to the authorities to resolve the crisis, but none have been implemented. He suggested selling male gazelles due to their high numbers, which could provide the necessary budget for purchasing forage. He also proposed dividing or extending the reserve to be adjacent to the borders with Iran. 

In a similar proposal, Jabbar Hadi discussed the possibility of releasing the gazelles from the reserve into the wild to protect and spread them. However, such a solution depends on raising awareness among hunters and ultimately preventing poaching to protect the gazelles from death. 

Agriculture: We cannot feed the gazelles 
Proposals from officials to revive the reserve go unanswered. Demands to provide forage for the gazelles to prevent their potential starvation are refused. According to Walid Muhammad Razoqi, the Director General of the Animal Resources Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, it is not possible to supply the reserve with thousands of tonnes of forage as requested. Still, they can provide yellow corn if the reserve submits a request. He noted that the ministry could not allocate forage for the reserve because, although it is technically under their jurisdiction, administratively, it belongs to the governorate. 

Al-Reem Reserve relies on its own efforts to meet the gazelles’ dietary needs in addition to donations from farmers and companies, which officials say show “compassion” toward the reserve. 

Those in charge of the reserve are trying to protect it from the fate faced by the gazelles in Sawah Reserve through self-cultivation and endless appeals for donations. However, there is no guarantee that these donations and efforts will continue or that they will be able to keep the gazelles from the possibility of starvation.