In Al-Chibayish, deep in Iraq’s Mesopotamian Marshes, water has shaped life for generations. The marshes are more than a landscape, they are a source of identity, culture, and livelihoods for thousands of families who have long depended on buffalo breeding, fishing, reed harvesting, dairy production, and traditional handicrafts.

For centuries, knowledge was passed from one generation to the next. Mothers taught daughters how to weave reeds and palm leaves into baskets and mats. Families produced traditional dairy products using techniques refined over decades. Children learned to navigate the waterways and understand the rhythms of the marshes from an early age.

Today, however, this way of life is under increasing pressure.

Climate change, prolonged drought, rising salinity, and environmental degradation have severely affected the marsh ecosystem. Fish populations have declined, buffalo herds have been lost, and traditional sources of income have become increasingly difficult to sustain. In Dhi Qar Governorate alone, more than 8,498 families have been displaced due to drought and desertification.

For many residents of Al-Chibayish, the crisis extends beyond environmental change. It threatens a cultural heritage and way of life that has defined the marshes for generations.

Women have often borne the greatest burden. As economic opportunities diminished and men increasingly migrated in search of temporary work, women remained responsible for managing households, caring for children, and preserving traditional knowledge. Despite their extensive skills and understanding of the marsh environment, many women had limited access to training, markets, or income-generating opportunities.

Through UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative, With the supported of the Government of Japan and implementation in partnership with local organizations, communities in Al-Chibayish began exploring ways to preserve traditional knowledge while creating new opportunities for economic resilience.

The initiative started by listening.

Through household surveys, focus group discussions, and consultations with local authorities and community members, the project sought to understand both the challenges facing communities and the resources that still remained within them.

What emerged was a clear message: traditional knowledge had not disappeared.

Some women still possessed the skills needed to weave palm leaves and reeds into traditional products. They still knew how to produce local dairy products and maintain practices adapted to life in the marshes. What was at risk was not the knowledge itself, but the transfer of that knowledge to younger generations and its connection to sustainable economic opportunities. “My mother taught me this craft; it was part of our lives,” recalled one participant. “But we stopped because the materials became scarce.”

To help bridge this gap, the project organized a series of women-centered training programmes between January and May 2026 in Al-Chibayish. More than 50 women participated across three training cohorts focused on heritage dress production, traditional dairy processing, and palm-leaf and reed handicrafts.