disruption of fisheries in the Persian Gulf. Government response Although the interim government appointed in 2004 included a Ministry of Environment, long-term environmental crises such as the depletion of marshland in the Shatt al Arab have a low priority. The government has made numerous efforts to help the environment and the people of Iraq. See also Nature Iraq, Iraq's first and only conservation group Humat Dijla, an iraqi association that works for a better awareness about the water problem in Iraq. References External links A collection of articles, studies and reports relating to Iraq's environment