U*nder Saddam's reign, the Marsh Arabs had their living areas drained - specifically the Tigris-Euphrates Alluvial Salt Marsh. After the downfall of Saddam, programs were established to rewater the marshes.
Over at OpFor, in you can see some of the results - there's a lot that's been recoved though it will take decades for a good reversal to set in.
There's also some personal stories there - I'll let you read them and tell me what you think.
J.