Iraqi officials are warning that Iraq’s ancient heritage — the cradle of one of the world’s earliest civilizations — is at risk of disappearing as a result of climate change. According to a Reuters report, ancient cities in the country’s south are suffering from severe drought, rising soil salinity, and advancing desertification.

Harsh climatic conditions are accelerating the deterioration of historic sites such as Ur, the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, and Babylon, once the capital of mighty empires. Reuters notes that sand dunes are encroaching on the northern side of the Ziggurat of Ur, a pyramid-shaped temple built more than 4,000 years ago.

Archaeologist Abdullah Nasrallah from the Dhi Qar Antiquities Department said, “The combination of wind and sand dunes is eroding the northern parts of the structure,” adding that the upper layers of the ziggurat are also beginning to deteriorate due to weathering and climate change.

Local archaeologists told Reuters that salt buildup in the soil threatens the Royal Cemetery of Ur, discovered by British archaeologist Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. Dr. Kadhim Hassoun, the Dhi Qar antiquities inspector, explained, “Salt deposits resulting from rising temperatures and climate change are destroying key parts of the site and could lead to its complete collapse.”

Southern Iraq is experiencing soaring temperatures and worsening drought, which are increasing salinity in the marshlands where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers converge before emptying into the Gulf. In the north, the ancient city of Babylon faces similar threats. Dr. Muntaser Al-Hasnawi, Director General at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, told Reuters, “A lack of funding is hindering vital restoration work, despite the urgent need for it.” He added that rising salinity and water contamination are gradually destabilizing the city’s structures.

The report concludes that Iraq — already weakened by decades of conflict and instability — now faces an additional existential challenge. Climate change not only endangers its agriculture and water resources but also threatens to erase the historical identity of the land once known as the Cradle of Civilization.