The man who calls a river his 'family'
Brought up on tales of Iraq’s lost marshes, Salman Khairalla lived through invasion, civil war, and sectarian violence — but risked his life to campaign for Iraq’s wetlands.
Brought up on the tales his father told him of Iraq’s lost marshes, as a teenager Salman Khairalla lived through invasion, civil war and sectarian violence. Forced to leave school, he found work with an uncle, analysing water samples. This work inspired him to become an environmentalist, campaigning for the restoration and protection of Iraq's wetlands. The movement Salman founded earned him the nickname "the father of the Tigris river" and changed Iraqi attitudes to the environment — but it also put Salman onto a collision course with the government.
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Laura Thomas
(Photo: Southern wetlands of Iraq. Credit: John Wreford/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Image)
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