Dr. Abd al-Ridha Akbar Alwan and Mr. Moataz Hikmat Othman, two lecturers in the Department of Ecology at the University of Basra, participated in a workshop to save the marshes, which was held by the Chabayish Ecotourism Organization and sponsored by USAID at the Basra Hotel.

The workshop included the participation of a number of officials and representatives of state departments, civil society organizations, and the governor's advisor, to discuss the importance of the marshes, their tourism role, the effects of water scarcity on life, and how to protect this water ecosystem from deterioration and drought.

The workshop recommended several recommendations, the most important of which is increasing water releases to Iraq from neighboring countries in accordance with international norms, providing potable water for its residents, establishing sewage treatment plants in the southern governorates, and desalinating sea water.