Iraq's ancient southern cities, including Ur and Babylon, are facing severe threats from climate change, with officials warning that thousands of years of history could be lost. Harsh weather and rising soil salinity are causing erosion and damaging iconic monuments such as the Ziggurat of Ur, where sand dunes and wind have already deteriorated key structural layers. Salt deposits, a result of global warming, are eating away at the mud bricks of the Royal Cemetery of Ur, putting it at risk of collapse.

Further up the Euphrates, Babylon's archaeological sites are also endangered by high salinity levels, which threaten the clay-based materials and ancient drawings. Previous restoration efforts have left these sites more vulnerable, and urgent attention is needed to prevent further deterioration. Iraq, already battered by decades of conflict, now faces the additional challenge of climate change, which is altering the ecosystem and endangering both its agricultural future and its historical legacy.