ニューヨーク・タイムズさんのインスタグラム動画 - (ニューヨーク・タイムズInstagram)「A Climate Warning From Iraq, the Cradle of Civilization For much of its history, the Fertile Crescent — often defined as including areas of modern-day Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, the West Bank and Gaza — did not lack for water, inspiring centuries of artists and writers who depicted the region as a lush ancient land. But now nearly 40% of Iraq, an area roughly the size of Florida, has been overtaken by blowing desert sands that claim tens of thousands of acres of arable land every year. Climate change and desertification are to blame, scientists say. So are weak governance and the continued reliance on wasteful irrigation techniques that date back millenniums to Sumerian times. A tug of war over water — similar to the struggles over the Colorado River in the U.S., the Mekong in Southeast Asia and the Nile in northern Africa — has also intensified water shortages for tens of millions of people across the region. Here in Iraq, the fallout is everywhere, fraying society, spurring deadly clashes between villages, displacing thousands of people every year, emboldening extremists and leaving ever more land looking like a barren moonscape. Video by @bdentonphoto, Dave Horn, Rebecca Suner」8月10日 6時11分